Angry demonstrations have broken out in the Tunisian border city of Ben Guerdane following a deadly shipwreck that killed 12 migrants — most of them local residents — highlighting deep frustration over dangerous migration routes and repeated tragedies in the region.
The southeastern Tunisian city of Ben Guerdane erupted in protest on Saturday night, just one day after an overcrowded migrant boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, claiming the lives of 12 people and leaving two more still missing. The vessel, carrying 15 migrants in total, had departed from waters near the city — a known departure point for people attempting the perilous crossing toward Europe. Fourteen of the passengers were residents of Ben Guerdane, a marginalised community situated near the Libyan border, making the tragedy feel personal and devastating for the entire town.
Protesters took to the streets within hours of the news breaking, blocking major roads and setting fire to tyres in a powerful display of anger and grief. Many directed their frustration at both local authorities and European policymakers, whom they accuse of turning a blind eye to the human cost of migration policies that push people toward increasingly dangerous routes. The sinking has reopened deep wounds in the community, which endured a similar tragedy in 2022 when another boat carrying 18 people disappeared — an incident that sparked weeks of sustained protests amid accusations that authorities failed to properly search for victims or inform families of their loved ones' fates.
Search and recovery operations continued through Sunday, with local fishermen joining Tunisia's National Guard in combing the waters for the two people still unaccounted for. Only one survivor was rescued from the wreckage. The central Mediterranean route remains the deadliest migration corridor in the world, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which records that more than 900 people have died or gone missing along this stretch of sea since the beginning of the year. While migrant departures from Tunisia have declined following a landmark 2023 agreement between the European Union and Tunisia — which included €105 million in funding for border security and coast guard training — the dangers have not disappeared. Families in southern Tunisia, particularly in Zarzis and Ben Guerdane, continue to search for relatives who vanished at sea in previous years, and the latest tragedy has underscored that the human toll of irregular migration remains devastatingly high.
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