Search continues in Tunisia as migrant boat sinking sparks protests

What the report says

Volunteers in Tunisia were continuing the search on Monday for two people still missing after a migrant boat sank off the country’s southeastern coast, according to Al Jazeera’s report published on 25 August 2026. The vessel, believed to have been heading toward Italy, carried 15 mostly young people and went down late on Friday about 14 nautical miles off Zarzis, between Zarzis and Ben Guerdane.

Al Jazeera reported that 12 bodies had been recovered by Sunday, while one survivor was rescued after drifting at sea for about 48 hours. The report said most of those on board were from Ben Guerdane, with one from Zarzis, and that some of the dead may still be being identified. A human-rights official cited in the article said genetic testing was under way and that a hospital in Ben Guerdane had received additional bodies recovered from the sea, though it was not clear whether all were linked to the same sinking.

The disaster triggered violent protests in Ben Guerdane on Sunday night. Demonstrators burned tyres and blocked roads, while police used tear gas to disperse crowds. Protesters called for better living conditions and more economic opportunity, arguing that hardship and marginalization are pushing young Tunisians to attempt dangerous sea crossings.

The article places the incident in the broader context of repeated migrant tragedies along Tunisia’s coast and the central Mediterranean route, which international migration agencies describe as among the deadliest in the world.