A group of 37 migrants is unaccounted for following a tragic boat accident between Tunisia and Lampedusa, as reported by the International Organization for Migration on June 23, 2023.
According to the IOM, the survivors, originating from sub-Saharan Africa, reached Lampedusa on Thursday night after being saved from the shipwreck by another vessel.
Allegedly, the survivors embarked from Sfax, Tunisia, with 46 individuals on board, only to face a catastrophe due to harsh weather conditions resulting in the capsizing of their boat.
The survivors recounted that part of the group was rescued by another boat, but 37 individuals, including seven women and a child, are feared to have perished in the incident.
While the UN Refugee Agency reported a slightly different number of 40 missing individuals, rather than 37, in the same tragic event.
Recent events show an increase in migration from Tunisia to Italy, prompted by Tunisia’s crackdown on sub-Saharan African migrants and reports of discrimination, amid economic struggles.
Additionally, a separate incident off Tunisia led to the disappearance of 12 African migrants and the unfortunate death of three, with 152 others being rescued by the local coast guard.
It remains unknown if the survivors who shared their account with the IOM were part of the mentioned incidents involving three boats off the Tunisian coast.
