Thu Jan 02 16:42:19 UTC 2025: ## Twenty-Seven Migrants Die in Tunisia Boat Capsizing
**Tunis, Tunisia –** At least 27 migrants, including women and children, perished when two boats capsized off the coast of central Tunisia on January 2nd, 2024. Eighty-three others were rescued. The victims, all from sub-Saharan African countries, were attempting the perilous journey to Europe.
Zied Sdiri, head of civil defense in Sfax, confirmed the tragedy. The boats sank near the Kerkennah Islands. Searches for potential additional missing persons are ongoing, according to the Tunisian National Guard.
Tunisia serves as a major departure point for migrants aiming to reach Europe, often landing first in Italy’s Lampedusa island, a mere 90 miles away. The Mediterranean crossing is notoriously dangerous, with numerous shipwrecks occurring annually. This incident follows a string of recent tragedies, including a December 18th shipwreck near Sfax that claimed at least 20 lives, and a December 12th incident resulting in 15 deaths or disappearances.
The Tunisian human rights group FTDES estimates that between 600 and 700 migrants have died or gone missing in Tunisian waters since the start of the year, adding to the over 1,300 losses recorded in 2023. The rising death toll underscores the desperate measures taken by migrants and the inherent dangers of the journey across the Mediterranean.
First Piper 