Europe’s migrant crisis: Ship carrying more than 40 Sudanese sinks off the coast of Tunisia

At least 13 Sudanese migrants are dead and 27 are missing after a boat sinks off the coast of Tunisia, Tunisian officials say.

He added that only two people on board the ship survived, but a search operation was underway for the missing.

This is the latest disaster to hit migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Africa to Europe.

Sudan plunged into civil war about 10 months ago, forcing at least 9 million people to flee their homes.

Most of them have taken refuge in safer parts of the country or in neighboring states.

Some foreign governments, including Britain, evacuated their nationals trapped in Sudan after fighting broke out between the military and rival militias last April.

More than 2,270 migrants died attempting to cross the central Mediterranean in 2023, an increase of 60% from the previous year, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The European Union signed a deal with Tunisia last year to deal with irregular migration.

The deal includes $118m (£90m) to stop smuggling, strengthen borders and return migrants.

The disaster occurred after the boat left the small town of Jebiniana, near the city of Sfax.

Farid Ben Jah, a judicial spokesman for the Tunisian city of Monastir, said an investigation into the incident was ongoing.

He said the migrants were “likely to be used in human trafficking cases or to form criminal groups to enter Europe illegally”, he said, according to AFP news agency.