Tunisian coast guard recovers 12 bodies after migrant boat sinks off Zarzis
The Tunisian National Guard has recovered 12 bodies after a vessel carrying 15 migrants sank off Zarzis, leaving two people missing and one survivor rescued after 48 hours at sea.
Search operations off Zarzis
The Tunisian National Guard announced on Sunday that search teams recovered 12 bodies from the sea following the sinking of a migrant boat off the coast of Zarzis in southeastern Tunisia. The vessel departed early Thursday morning carrying 15 Tunisian nationals bound for Italy. It sank during the night between Friday and Saturday. A passing commercial vessel rescued the sole survivor after he spent roughly 48 hours adrift in the water.
Initial official reports on Sunday cited 11 recovered bodies before maritime units located another victim later in the day. The Tunisian National Guard detailed the recovery count in an official statement on Sunday.
Search operations allowed the recovery of three bodies yesterday and nine today, bringing the total to 12.
Search and rescue personnel from the coast guard, military units, and civil protection services continue operations to locate the two passengers who remain missing, supported by two helicopters.
- Boat carrying 15 migrants departs southeastern Tunisia toward Italy.
- Vessel sinks off the coast of Zarzis.
- Commercial ship rescues lone survivor; search teams recover three bodies as protests erupt in Ben Guerdane.
- National Guard recovers nine additional bodies, raising the recovered death toll to 12.
Passenger details and local unrest
According to the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights, the passengers were predominantly young people seeking to cross the Mediterranean. Among those on board were seven members of a single family, as well as a man traveling with his pregnant wife. Fourteen of the 15 passengers originated from Ben Guerdane, a marginalised town near the Libyan border, while the 15th passenger came from Zarzis.
News of the shipwreck triggered immediate unrest in Ben Guerdane on Saturday night. Dozens of local residents and youths took to the streets to demand that authorities accelerate search operations for the missing passengers. Demonstrators blocked roads and set car tires on fire across the town. Tunisian police responded by deploying tear gas to disperse the gathering crowds.
- Bodies recovered
- 12 people
- Missing
- 2 people
- Rescued
- 1 people
Central Mediterranean route and European Union policy
Tunisia sits approximately 145 kilometres from the Italian island of Lampedusa, making its coastline a frequent departure point for maritime crossings toward Europe. Data from the International Organization for Migration identifies the Central Mediterranean as the deadliest migration route in the world. The organisation reported that at least 914 migrants died or went missing in this corridor during 2026. Figures released earlier this month showed that migrant deaths along the Central Mediterranean route more than doubled during the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
In 2023, Tunisia and the European Union signed an agreement providing 255 million euros in funding, with nearly half of the package allocated to curbing irregular migration. The deal received strong backing from the Italian government to increase the capacity of Tunisian authorities to stop boats from departing. Rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, called on the European Union last month to suspend funding for border control actions involving Tunisian security forces, asserting that the agreement contributed to abuses against migrants and asylum seekers.
