Thirteen people missing, two rescued. Another small boat bound for Italy capsizes off Tunisia.

As reported by cbinews.tv, a migrant boat that left the Tunisian coast early on Thursday capsized at sea. At least 13 Tunisians are missing and two have been rescued, according to Mostafa Abdelkebir, head of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights.

Those on board were mostly young people, including seven members of one family and a man travelling with his pregnant wife. One survivor said they were stranded for hours after the vessel overturned.

The second survivor is in critical condition. Coastguard teams backed by aircraft and naval units are still searching. Four bodies have been recovered nearby but it is unclear if they are linked to this boat.

Some context from cbinews.tv: The central Mediterranean route remains the world’s deadliest sea crossing, with more than 30,000 dead or missing recorded by the International Organisation for Migration since 2014.

Tunisia was once a top departure point but numbers have dropped sharply in the past two years amid a crackdown supported by EU funding and equipment from Italy.

That deal remains contentious. Last month Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other groups said the 2023 EU Tunisia agreement had normalised abuses against migrants and called for funding to be suspended.

Tunis has not commented but says it is under strain from rising arrivals.

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