Residents of the Tunisian coastal town of Ben Guerdane have held funerals for eight young migrants who drowned after a boat carrying them sank while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
The victims were among about 15 people who reportedly boarded a small vessel on Friday in search of better opportunities in Europe. Only one person has been found alive after reportedly spending about 48 hours adrift before being rescued by a commercial vessel.
The boat is believed to have departed on Thursday morning from an area between Zarzis and Ben Guerdane, bound for the Italian island of Lampedusa, about 145 kilometres away.
Speaking at the funeral, Zarzis resident Ali Eknis said the community was mourning young people who had hoped for a better future.
“They embarked on the road to death, taking the difficult route by sea, because of the miserable conditions they were living in,” he said.
With most of those aboard the vessel reportedly from Ben Guerdane, the deaths have triggered widespread grief and anger among residents, who say years of economic hardship and limited opportunities are pushing young people to risk their lives at sea.
Protesters who took to the streets on Sunday called on local and regional authorities to address the town’s economic challenges and create better opportunities for residents.
Ben Guerdane resident Hamza Ardhawi said conditions in the town had continued to deteriorate.
“We are asking the local and regional authorities to pay attention to Ben Guerdane because, apart from this disaster, there are many others as well,” he said.
“When someone is wounded, you have to treat them. You cannot leave them until the situation gets worse,” he added.
Another resident, Noureddine Chafai, said residents were tired of government promises and wanted concrete action to improve their livelihoods.
“Those responsible need to come to Ben Guerdane with several public projects and measures to facilitate the private sector. We need permanent jobs,” he said.
The International Organization for Migration has described the central Mediterranean migration route as the world’s deadliest.
Earlier this month, the agency said migrant deaths and disappearances along the route had more than doubled during the first four months of 2026 compared with the same period last year.
According to the IOM, at least 914 migrants have died or gone missing along the central Mediterranean route so far this year.
