TUNIS, Tunisia — Sixty-four migrants were successfully rescued by Tunisia’s authorities after their boat capsized off the country’s eastern Mediterranean coast. The vessel encountered trouble when it ran out of fuel, sparking a coordinated rescue effort.
According to Tunisia’s national customs agency, maritime patrols were dispatched to respond to the incident near the coast of Mahdia on Friday evening. The multilingual group of migrants were found unharmed and no casualties were reported. In a statement, the customs agency noted that the migrants were attempting to make an unauthorized journey to reach European territories.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the migrants’ voyage started from an unspecified neighboring country, likely Libya. The rescued individuals have been transported to the port of Chebba, situated 37 miles (60 kilometers) north of the coastal city of Sfax, where additional inquiries are ongoing.
Recent data reveals that over 30,000 migrants embarked on the journey from Libya to Italy during 2024, as reported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Statistics from the UN refugee agency indicate that 61% of those arriving in Italy via sea originated from Libya, while 32% hailed from Tunisia.
The International Organization for Migration, a UN body, estimates that the central Mediterranean region has witnessed the deaths or disappearances of over 100 migrants off the coasts of Tunisia and Libya since the beginning of 2025. Despite the significant number of migrants in Libya, precise statistics on their numbers remain unavailable.
