At least 14 people missing after migrant boat headed for Italy capsizes | Migration News

Hundreds of individuals have died since 2014 making an attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea and attain Europe.

Not less than 14 persons are lacking after a ship carrying migrants sank off the Tunisian coast whereas crusing in direction of Italy, in line with an official.

Houcem Eddine Jebabli, Tunisian Nationwide Guard spokesman talking to Mosaique FM radio, mentioned the boat sank 14 nautical miles off the coast of Zarzis in a single day Friday to Saturday, and that one individual had been rescued thus far.

The nationwide guard didn’t say whether or not there have been any confirmed deaths.

Mostafa Abelkebir, Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights president, posted on Fb that 4 our bodies had been discovered however it remained unclear in the event that they belonged to lacking passengers of the boat.

One survivor instructed rescuers on board an area boat that that they had been stranded at sea for hours after their vessel capsized. Abdelkebir, whose group displays migration points, mentioned a second survivor was in essential situation.

Tunisia was as soon as a significant departure level for migrants trying to achieve Europe, however the variety of individuals trying the crossing from Tunisia has declined sharply up to now two years amid a crackdown and tighter maritime controls supported by the European Union.

The North African nation had additionally been a key departure level for individuals from throughout Africa looking for to achieve Europe, a lot of them travelling in overcrowded or unseaworthy boats.

Tunisia-EU deal faces criticism

In July, 46 rights teams, together with Amnesty Worldwide and Human Rights Watch, issued a joint assertion criticising the EU’s 2023 deal with Tunisia to curb migration.

The deal gives Tunisia with funding to hold out EU border management within the nation, and this has led to “reckless and violent interceptions at sea” of refugees, “collective and abstract expulsions”, and “fueled and normalized critical human rights violations”, the teams mentioned.

They referred to as on the EU to droop funding for migration and ⁠border-control actions involving Tunisian safety forces.

The Worldwide Group for Migration estimates that greater than 35,000 individuals have gone lacking within the Mediterranean since 2014.

The Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights has beforehand estimated that about 10,000 Tunisians have gone lacking at sea trying to cross to Europe since 2011.