Thu Jan 02 18:23:59 UTC 2025: ## At Least 27 Migrants Dead After Boats Capsize Off Tunisia
**SFAX, Tunisia** – At least 27 migrants, including women and children, have died after two boats carrying sub-Saharan Africans capsized off the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, on New Year’s Eve. Eighty-three others were rescued. The Tunisian National Guard confirmed the tragedy, stating that a baby was among the deceased.
Ziad al-Sidiri, director of civil protection in Sfax, reported that all victims and survivors were from sub-Saharan African countries. Fifteen survivors received first aid at local hospitals, while the bodies of the deceased were transferred to the Tunisian Coast Guard for forensic examination. Search and rescue operations continue for any remaining missing persons.
This incident follows a recent pattern of deadly shipwrecks off the Tunisian coast. The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) estimates that between 600 and 700 people died or went missing in such incidents in 2024 alone, a decrease from over 1,300 in 2023. The International Organization for Migration reports nearly 24,500 deaths or disappearances in the central Mediterranean since 2014, highlighting the perilous nature of this migration route.
Tunisia has become a major departure point for migrants seeking to reach Europe, replacing Libya in recent years. A 2023 EU-Tunisia migration agreement, worth €255 million, aimed to strengthen Tunisia’s ability to prevent departures. However, human rights organizations have criticized the deal, citing concerns about its impact on vulnerable migrants and a lack of transparency regarding risk assessments by the European Commission. The EU Ombudsman echoed these concerns in October 2024. The recent tragedy underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean and raises further questions about the effectiveness and ethical implications of the EU-Tunisia migration pact.
First Piper 