Five die as migrant boat sinks off Tunisia

Coastguard rescues about 20 others from Mediterranean

Seized migrant boats in the central Tunisian city of Sfax. Tunisia is a favoured departure point for migrants ready to risk the dangerous sea crossing to Europe. AFP

Five migrants from sub-Saharan Africa drowned and five more are missing after their boat sank off Tunisia on its way to Europe, authorities said on Saturday.

About 20 others were rescued from the Mediterranean Sea by the Tunisian coastguard, said Faouzi Masmoudi, district attorney from the port city of Sfax.

Boats were scouring the waters off Sfax searching for other survivors, he said.

Parts of the Tunisian coastline lie fewer than 150km from the Italian island of Lampedusa, making them a favoured departure point for migrants ready to embark on the dangerous sea crossing.

More than 23,500 people of various nationalities were intercepted off Tunisia between January and September last year, according to the FTDES rights group, which tracks migration issues.

More than 500 people died or disappeared at sea during the same period, it said.

The coastguard is under pressure to stem the flow but lacks the means to do so, Tunisian authorities say.

The central Mediterranean route includes boat launchings from neighbouring Libya and is a perilous way for people to try to reach southern Europe, where Greece, Italy and Malta are all EU members.

Thousands of people fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa, Asia and the Middle East attempt to enter the EU through Greece each year.

Most make the short but dangerous crossing from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in often unseaworthy inflatable dinghies.

Others opt to attempt to circumvent Greece in overcrowded boats and yachts, heading to Italy.

About 100,000 people crossed the Mediterranean to reach Italian shores in 2022, a year in which the country also elected far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, who as Prime Minister has made migration as a key priority and is seeking to reduce the number of people reaching Italy.