The United Nations migration agency said it was "saddened" by a tragic incident in the Mediterranean at the weekend when a migrant boat heading for Italy collided with a Tunisian navy vessel and sank, leaving eight people dead and over 40 missing.
“We are saddened with this tragedy that is affecting so many migrants and their families” said the International Organisation for Migration's mission chief in Tunisia, Lorena Lando.
A total 38 Tunisians were rescued from the sea by the Tunisian navy after the deadly incident, which happened in the early hours of Sunday about 54 kilometers off eastern Tunisia's Kerkennah islands. They were taken to the Tunisian port of Sfax and released shortly afterwards, IOM said.
The boat, which was reportedly carrying over 70 migrants, is believed to have set sail from Sfax under cover of darkness amid an uptick in such crossings to Italy from Tunisia - a trend that worries IOM, Lando said.
“IOM is committed to support and advocate for safe and dignified migration. We are concerned about the increasing events of irregular migration from Tunisia's coasts and we are working closely with all stakeholders to develop long-term solutions,” Lando stated.
Tunisian authorities announced on Monday they were undertaking a rigorous investigation into the circumstances of the incident, IOM stated.
A total of 1,357 Tunisians reached the Italian coast from January to August this year while over 1,400 Tunisians are estimated to have arrived during the month of September alone, according to the IOM.
The recent surge in crossings to Italy from Tunisia comes after alleged deals between trafficking gangs and the UN-recognised government in Tripoli has drastically reduced the number of migrant boats setting sail from Libya.
