TUNIS, April 28, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Eight migrants from various countries died
and 29 others were rescued after their boat capsized off the coast of Sfax in
central Tunisia, the Tunisian National Guard told AFP on Monday.

The migrants were "all foreigners", including some from sub-Saharan Africa
and others of different nationalities, said Houcem Eddine Jebabli, a
spokesman for the National Guard.

The Tunisian Defence Ministry said the shipwreck occurred early Sunday.

Tunisia is a key transit country for thousands of sub-Saharan migrants
seeking to reach Europe by sea each year, with Italy's island of Lampedusa
only 150 kilometres (90 miles) away.

Earlier this month, authorities began dismantling informal camps near Sfax
where thousands of migrants, mainly from Sub-Saharan African countries,
stayed.

With the European Union's mounting efforts to curb migrant arrivals, many
irregular migrants feel stranded in Tunisia.

In 2023, Tunisia signed a 255-million-euro ($290-million) deal with the EU,
nearly half of which was earmarked for tackling irregular migration.

The deal, strongly supported by Italy's hard-right government, aimed to
bolster Tunisia's capacity to prevent boats leaving its shore.

Frontex, the EU's border agency, has said that irregular border crossings
were down 64 percent last year through September for the central
Mediterranean route.

Tunisian President Kais Saied last month called on the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) to accelerate voluntary returns for
irregular migrants to their home countries.