WORLD (Enmaeya News) - October 24, 2025
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said the sinking claimed the lives of at least 40 African migrants, describing the incident as one that “once again exposes the deadly risks” of attempting irregular crossings to Europe.
The boat had departed from the village of Slakta, before capsizing and causing the deaths of nine women, 19 men, and 12 children under the age of five.
A fishing vessel nearby alerted authorities, helping rescue 30 survivors from Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea.
The organization described the tragedy as “one of the deadliest maritime incidents” recorded along the North African coast this year, stressing the “urgent need for coordinated action” to prevent further loss of life along the Central Mediterranean route.
According to the Missing Migrants Project, around 1,000 deaths and disappearances have been recorded on the same route this year.
Since 2014, the total number of people missing in the Mediterranean has surpassed 32,800, including more than 25,000 who died while trying to cross from North Africa to Europe.
Data showed that children are among the most affected, with at least 30 children having died off the Tunisian coast this year alone, compared to 22 in all of 2024.
Tunisia has increasingly become a major departure point toward Italy, amid tightened border controls and worsening instability in Libya.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Tunisia hosts more than 10,600 registered refugees and asylum seekers, 86% of whom come from countries affected by war or widespread violence.
