Dozens die in shipwrecks off Tunisia as 2025 is already deadly for migrants in Mediterranean
CNNCNN — At least 27 people have died after two boats carrying migrants sunk off the coast of Tunisia on Wednesday, according to state broadcaster Tunisia TV. Just hours before midnight on New Year’s Eve, a boat sank off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy, UNICEF said, leaving more than 20 people missing, including women and children. ‘Europe’s borders continue to kill’ The support service Alarm Phone told CNN on Thursday that “over the last days and weeks, many deadly incidents occurred along the migration routes in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.” “While people in Europe and elsewhere enjoy the holiday season and end-of-year festivities, Europe’s borders continue to kill. Separately, UNICEF called on governments to prioritize safeguarding children, including through “coordinated search and rescue operations, safe disembarkation, community-based reception, and access to asylum services.” “Governments must address the root causes of migration and support the integration of families into host communities, ensuring children’s rights are protected at every stage of their journey,” it said. The International Rescue Committee called the opening of the centers a “dark day for the EU’s asylum and migration policies” and said it hoped that the Albanian protocol would not be a blueprint for others.