17 Tunisians on migrant boat heading toward Italy missing

At least seventeen Tunisians who were on a migrant boat heading towards the Italian coast are reported missing, a local official said on Monday.

The missing people, including a five-year-old child, had set sail last week on a fishing boat from Bizerte in northern Tunisia last week, Reuters reported yesterday.

Coast guard and Navy forces, supported by helicopter, are reported to have begun search operations.

In 2023, a total of 1,300 Tunisian irregular migrants were reported missing, while more than 17,000 irregular migrants attempting to cross to Europe by sea had reached the continent, according to a statement issued on Feb. 6 by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights.