Boat sinks off the coast of Tunisia, 14 migrants missing - Milliyet
Milliyet AppUygulamayı AçWebWeb'de Devam Et ENBoat sinks off the coast of Tunisia, 14 migrants missingNewsBoat Sinks Off The Coast Of Tunisia, 14 Migrants MissingBoat sinks off the coast of Tunisia, 14 migrants missing22.08.2026 - 21:19 | Last Updated: 22.08.2026 - 21:19
A boat carrying 15 irregular migrants capsized off the coast of Tunisia. According to an official speaking to local media, 14 people are missing, and search and rescue efforts are ongoing. Houcem Eddine Jebabli, a spokesperson for the Tunisian National Guard, told the radio station Mosaique FM that the boat sank 14 nautical miles off the coast of Carcis on the night between Friday and Saturday, and that one person has been rescued so far.
While the National Guard has not issued an official statement on the death toll, reports indicate that the chances of survival for the 14 missing people are very low.
Mostafa Abdelkebir, president of the Tunisian Human Rights Observatory, said in a Facebook post that four bodies had been found, but it was not yet clear whether they belonged to the missing migrants. Tunisia, whose coastline lies approximately 145 kilometers from the Italian island of Lampedusa, serves as a major departure point for irregular migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean in search of a better life in Europe.
However, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Central Mediterranean crossing is the world’s deadliest migration route. In a report released earlier this month, the IOM stated that migrant deaths in the Central Mediterranean during the first four months of 2026 had more than doubled compared to the same period last year.
The IOM stated that at least 914 people have lost their lives or gone missing along the route this year. In 2023, Tunisia signed a 255 million euro agreement with the European Union. Nearly half of this agreement was allocated to combating irregular migration.
Strongly supported by the Italian government, the agreement aimed to strengthen Tunisia’s capacity to intercept boats departing from its coast.
