At least 40 migrants, including young children, drowned on Wednesday when a packed vessel capsized off Tunisia’s central coast near Mahdia, marking one of the deadliest tragedies this year on the perilous Mediterranean route from North Africa to Europe.

Tunisian naval forces rescued 30 survivors, but rough seas and overcrowding proved fatal for many aboard.

The boat, which departed from Libya, was carrying sub-Saharan Africans fleeing poverty and conflict, according to Mahdia court spokesman Walid Charbi. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the sinking, including whether smuggling networks—known to overload vessels for profit—played a role.

Tunisia has become a key departure point for migrants from across Africa and beyond. Since 2023, President Kais Saied has intensified patrols to curb what he described as “demographic changes.” Despite these efforts, Mahdia remains a hotspot, with 30,000 attempted crossings recorded in 2025 alone. Last year, more than 1,000 deaths were reported on the route, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Survivors, many suffering from hypothermia and dehydration, hailed from countries such as Mali and Nigeria, underscoring the economic and security crises driving migration. Aid organizations, including the UN Refugee Agency, condemned the loss of life as “preventable,” calling for safer migration pathways and stronger cooperation between Libya and Tunisia to dismantle smuggling operations that charge migrants between $1,000 and $2,000 per passage.

Tunisian officials acknowledged the strain on resources. “We rescue what we can, but the flow is relentless,” said Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled al-Sisi. The European Union, which has provided €1 billion in border enforcement funding to Tunisia since 2023, faces criticism for outsourcing migration control without addressing root causes.

As families await identification of the victims and European governments debate return policies, the tragedy highlights a deepening humanitarian crisis. The IOM reports that 2,500 people have died attempting Mediterranean crossings in 2025, with sub-Saharan routes proving especially deadly.