Dozens of migrants are feared dead after a rubber dinghy sank in the central Mediterranean, with the Italian Coast Guard recovering six bodies and searching for up to 40 missing, the UN refugee agency said Wednesday. Another 10 people, including four women, were rescued Tuesday and brought to Italy’s southernmost island of Lampedusa.
The Red Cross said they were in good condition but receiving psychological care. A spokesman said: “They have endured a traumatic experience.” Aircraft from the European border agency Frontex and the Italian Coast Guard were assisting in the search but faced difficult sea conditions.
Survivors reported that 56 people were aboard the boat when it left Tunisia’s Sfax on Monday.
However, the dinghy began deflating a few hours into the journey, leaving many stranded.
One survivor said: “We knew the boat was in danger. We prayed it wouldn’t sink.”
The UN Missing Migrant Project has recorded over 24,506 deaths in the Mediterranean since 2014, with many fatalities going unreported.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, speaking earlier this week, said: “Reducing the departures and curbing the traffickers’ business is the only way to reduce the number of migrants who lose their lives trying to reach Italy.”
She added: “We’ve had a 60% drop in migrant arrivals in 2023, but that doesn’t mean the crisis is over.”
The right-wing leader, alongside Brussels, struck a funding deal with Tunisia, which seemingly prompted a dramatic fall in migrant arrivals in 2024.
While the total number of arrivals to the Mediterranean country recorded between January and the end of last week was just 164, successful crossing attempts appear to have risen in recent days. 40 migrants were taken to Lampedusa on metal boats after the survivors from the deflated dinghy were picked up.
Meanwhile, a rescue ship carrying 35 migrants was ordered to dock far to the north in La Spezia, delaying the disembarkation by days.
Anabel Montes Mier, who ran the mission, said: “This adds unnecessary suffering to those who have already faced hell at sea.”
