Two migrants dead and 20 missing after boat sinks in the Mediterranean

Calls for a more humanitarian approach to migration have intensified after latest tragedy

There has been calls for a more humanitarian approach to migration to stop desperate people attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing in unseaworthy boats. Reuters

At least two migrants have died and about 20 are missing after their vessel sank in the Mediterranean between Tunisia and Italy, German aid group ResQship has reported.

The group's ship, the Nadir, rescued 22 people and took them to the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Among those rescued were men, women and children from Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Mali. A pregnant woman was among them.

The boat's crew also recovered the bodies of two men.

About 40 migrants were on the boat when it left Sfax in Tunisia, according to Stefan Seyfert of ResQship.

“We did everything we could to save more people but didn't manage to,” Mr Seyfert said.

He acknowledged the “good co-operation” with the Italian coastguard.

ResQship tweeted that by the time its team arrived at the scene of the wreck, the migrants had already been in the water for about two hours.

“This is an unspeakable tragedy that could — and should — have been prevented by a humanitarian approach to migration instead of barbed-wiring the European borders,” it said.

Nine women were among the survivors, the Italian news agency Ansa reported. It said 18 people were missing.

The migrants are believed to have paid 3,000 Tunisian dinars (about $980) each to secure passage on the boat.

This incident is only the latest disaster in the Mediterranean Sea, where dozens of migrants trying to cross have drowned and dozens more have had to be rescued from flimsy boats.

Unseaworthy craft are increasingly being used for the perilous attempts by West Africans, Sudanese and others to reach safety and better lives in Europe.

Italy has been complaining for some time about the number of migrants arriving on its shores. According to the Interior Ministry, more than 14,000 migrants have arrived in Italy since the start of the year.

This is significantly more than the 5,300 who arrived in the same period in 2022 and the 4,300 who arrived in 2021.

The EU has faced criticism for its handling of the crisis, with many calling for a more humanitarian approach to migration.

The UN has urged countries to work together to address the root causes and provide better protection for those forced to flee their homes.