Tunisian Town Buries Migrant as Anger Grows Over Boat Tragedy

Residents of Ben Guerdane, a coastal town in southern Tunisia, held a funeral on Wednesday for a migrant whose body was recovered at sea days after a boat capsized. The burial came as the community grappled with grief and frustration over the handling of the disaster.

The boat, carrying an estimated 15 people, went down last Saturday off the southern coast. Authorities recovered two bodies, which were taken to a hospital on the nearby island of Djerba, and rescued one survivor. Twelve others remain missing.

At the funeral, Noureddine Chaafi, a local resident, voiced the community's anger. "For nearly five days now, we have not seen a single regional official, minister, or even the president, who always claims to be close to the people," he said. "Where is he in this disaster?"

Mostafa Abdelkbir, president of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights, described the day as a somber milestone for the town. "We are talking about 15 young men from 2004, 2010, 2011, and 2006, among the best of our youth, most of whom came from poor and needy families," he said. "This is proof that the current economic reality has a significant impact on the search for a better alternative."

The incident has sparked protests in recent weeks, with families accusing authorities of failing to conduct thorough search efforts and of burying some recovered bodies without proper identification or notification.

Migrant departures from Tunisia have declined sharply since a 2023 agreement between the European Union and Tunisia, which included EU funding and technical support for border control and coast guard training. The EU allocated 105 million euros ($121 million) in migration-related support to Tunisia in 2023 alone.