Shipwreck off Tunisia and Sea-Watch Rescue

Sea-Watch highlighted that arrivals in Italy have fallen sharply. Italy’s Interior Ministry data indicate over 22,000 sea migrants have reached Italy in 2026, versus more than 50,000 in the same period of 2025. The organization also noted that more than 1,970 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean in 2026, underscoring the ongoing humanitarian risk despite the reduced flow.

The Straits Times

The rescue operation recovered 28 migrants in total and two bodies, including a child. Five survivors were found aboard the dinghy, while the remaining 23 were taken from the platform. According to the rescued migrants, six individuals—three children—are still unaccounted for. Sea-Watch’s account forms the primary source for these figures.

The Straits Times

Sea-Watch spokesperson Julia Winkler used the incident to call for a state-run European search-and-rescue programme, arguing that declining arrival numbers should not be celebrated when lives are still lost. The organization stresses that the “success” of lower arrivals is hollow while fatalities and disappearances persist.

The Straits Times

“Governments celebrate falling arrival numbers as a success. We see what that ‘success’ means: at least two dead and six missing, including three children,” — Sea-Watch

The Straits Times