Protests Break Out in Tunisian Town Over 37 Missing Migrants

The residents in El Hencha, a Tunisian town, protested on Wednesday as the search for the 37 missing migrants continued, waiting to hear news of loved ones who disappeared on the coast of Sfax in Tunisia.

The boat that has gone missing carries 37 migrants and asylum seekers.

TUNISIA-ITALY-MIGRANTS — Migrants of African origin trying to flee to Europe are crammed on board of a small boat, as Tunisian coast guards prepare to transfer them onto their vessel, at sea between Tunisia and Italy, on August 10, 2023. Mediterranean Sea crossing attempts from Tunisia have multiplied following a incendiary speech by the Tunisian president who had alleged that "hordes" of irregular migrants were causing crime and posing a demographic threat to the mainly Arab country. FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images

Family members of the missing migrants reported that they received final phone calls when the boat was leaving port on January 11 at around 2:30 pm. At about 10 pm, all contact with the boat and its passengers had been lost.

Besides three or four people from elsewhere in Tunisia, all of the boat's passengers were reportedly from the small village of El Hencha in the Sfax Governorate.

The families set up barricades due to the frustration of the lack of news since the boat's disappearance. On Wednesday, the families set fire to tires around the village and only left after the government authorities assured the public that search efforts would continue.

Mohammed Jlaiel, the brother of one of the missing passengers, told Al Jazeera by phone, "We haven't heard anything about him. Nothing! It's torturous."

He continued that they were desperate for news as the missing passengers were all their neighbors and friends. He also shared that his mom was currently in a terrible state, and the whole town was in pain.

On Tuesday, the Tunisian National Guard reported that all field units, including maritime vessels and helicopters, have been deployed to find the 37 passengers. Maltese and Italian units were also reportedly involved in the search.

According to the Italian news agency Agenzia Nova, the coastline between Sfax and the coastal town of Mahdia, around 80 miles (129 km) north, was the main focus of the ongoing search operations.

However, politicians and family members have been distressed about how long it has taken to receive concrete news.

"Imagine not knowing anything about a brother for six days. They sent planes, boats, all sorts of things to look for them, but there's no trace of them whatsoever," Jlaiel said. "Tunisians, Italians, Libyans ... Everyone is searching, yet they can't find anything. It's so strange."

Karbai Criticizes Europe's Migration Policies

Majdi Karbai, a member of parliament in charge of Tunisians overseas, told Al Jazeera that the missing migrants and asylum seekers were the latest victims of Europe's migration policies.

He claimed that the European Union's attempts to control irregular migration along its southern border have endangered lives.

Karbai added that he had communicated with family members in El Hencha. He explained that locals were concerned about the ongoing absence of information about the lost boat.

In the Tunisian town of Zarzis, a shipwreck claimed the lives of eighteen residents. The incident led to protests denouncing the speed of the rescue effort and the economic conditions that prompted the fatal voyage.

Tunisian President Kais Saied intervened to assist in easing tensions. Karzai said that the current situation in El Hencha could be very bad, like Zarzis.