Forty Tunisian migrants missing in Mediterranean after embarking on boat toward Italy coast

About 40 Tunisian migrants were missing after setting off in a boat toward the Italy coast last week, the national guard said on Tuesday.

Tunisia is facing a migration crisis and has replaced Libya as a main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East in the hope of a better life in Europe.

National Guard video footage showed coast guard ships supported by aircraft searching for the missing people.

During the first 11 months of 2023, the number of irregular migrants intercepted by Tunisian authorities reached 69,963, more than double the figure for the same period in 2022, according to statistics shared by the National Guard.