At least 13 Tunisians are missing after a migrant boat sank off the Tunisian coast while attempting to travel to Italy, according to a migrant rights organisation.
The boat reportedly departed early Thursday. Two people were rescued, said Mostafa Abdelkebir, head of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights, on Saturday.
One of the survivors told rescuers that the migrants had been stranded at sea for several hours after the boat capsized. The second survivor was reportedly in critical condition.
Tunisia was previously a major departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe. However, the number of people making the journey from Tunisia has dropped sharply over the past two years due to increased crackdowns and tighter maritime controls, including measures supported by the European Union.
The country has also been an important departure point for migrants from other parts of Africa, many of whom attempt the dangerous journey in overcrowded or poorly equipped boats.
Criticism of Tunisia-EU Migration Deal
In July, 46 human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, criticised the EU's 2023 migration agreement with Tunisia.
The organisations accused Tunisian authorities of carrying out dangerous interceptions at sea, collective expulsions and other actions they said had contributed to serious human rights violations. They called on the EU to suspend funding for migration and border-control operations involving Tunisian security forces.
The International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 35,000 people have gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014.
The Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights has also previously estimated that around 10,000 Tunisians have gone missing at sea since 2011 while attempting to reach Europe.
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