Tunisia experiences protests following the sinking of a migrant boat. 12 deceased, two unaccounted for
Tunisian volunteers are actively searching for two missing migrants following a tragic boat sinking that has sparked protests regarding the ongoing hardships and lack of opportunities faced by many.
In Tunisia, volunteers are persistently searching for two individuals who remain missing following the sinking of a migrant boat that was carrying 15 people off the southeastern coast of the country. This tragic incident has ignited violent protests in Ben Guerdane.
Verified footage showed volunteers from the nearby city of Zarzis heading to sea on fishing boats on Monday to search for the missing migrants.
The boat, thought to be heading toward Italy, sank late on Friday after leaving an area between Zarzis and Ben Guerdane. It sank approximately 14 nautical miles (26 km) off the coast of Zarzis.
Twelve bodies were recovered by Sunday, as reported by Tunisia’s National Guard, while one individual survived after allegedly drifting at sea for approximately 48 hours before being rescued by a commercial vessel.
The tragedy sparked deep sorrow and outrage in Ben Guerdane, leading to violent protests that erupted on Sunday night.
Most passengers hailed from the city, with the National Guard reporting that 14 individuals aboard were from Ben Guerdane and one from Zarzis.
During the protests, demonstrators set fire to tires and obstructed roads, while police deployed tear gas to break up the gatherings.
The protesters demanded enhanced living conditions and increased economic development, contending that years of marginalization and restricted opportunities were compelling young Tunisians to jeopardize their lives by crossing the Mediterranean in pursuit of better prospects in Europe.
Mostafa Abdelkebir, head of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights, reported that seven members of the same family were included among those on the boat.
He informed Reuters that a hospital in Ben Guerdane had received at least 19 bodies of migrants recovered from the sea over a span of two days, although it was still uncertain whether all the bodiescamed from the same vessel.
Authorities are performing genetic tests to identify the bodies and determine the precise number of individuals who were on the vessel.
The magnitude of the tragedy has led some Tunisians to advocate for a national day of mourning.
Lawmaker Imad Oulad Jibril characterized the disaster as “the tragedy of a nation that sees its youth fleeing the hardships of the land only to be swallowed by the sea.”
The opposition Democratic Bloc party also connected the sinking to Tunisia’s economic challenges, raising the question. “When crossing the sea becomes easier than living in Tunisia, we must ask: Who is to blame?”
The recent incident has brought back memories of earlier migrant boat tragedies along Tunisia’s southeastern coast.
In 2018, over 100 individuals lost their lives or went missing in the Kerkennah disaster when a migrant boat sank. Additionally, at least 18 people perished in another sinking off Zarzis in 2022, which sparked weeks of protests.
Tunisia’s southeastern coast lies approximately 145km (90 miles) from Italy’s Lampedusa, establishing the area as a significant departure point for migrants seeking to reach Europe.
The central Mediterranean continues to be one of the most perilous migration routes in the world. The International Organization for Migration reports that at least 821 migrants have died or gone missing on the route this year, which is more than double the number recorded during the same period last year.
According to the organization, at least 1,065 migrants have either died or gone missing across the Mediterranean.
