Tunisia – A boat carrying 37 migrants and asylum seekers has disappeared off the coast of Sfax, Tunisia.

Relatives said they received the last calls around 2:30 p.m. on January 11 as the boat was about to set sail. At around 10 p.m. that same evening, all contact with the boat and its passengers was lost.

Apart from three or four people from other parts of Tunisia, all of the boat’s passengers are said to be from the small village of El Hencha in Sfax governorate. Their ages range from 13 to 35 years.

Frustrated by the lack of news since the boat disappeared, the families of the missing migrants set up roadblocks and burned tires around the village yesterday. They only withdrew when government authorities assured the public that search efforts would continue.

Mohammed Jlaiel’s 25-year-old brother Ali is among the missing.

“We haven’t heard from him. Nothing! It’s excruciating,” Mohammed told Al Jazeera by phone.

“We are desperate for news about her,” he continued. “They were all our neighbors and friends. The whole [of] Hencha is in pain. My mother is in terrible condition.”

The Tunisian National Guard released a statement on Tuesday saying that “all field units,” including sea vessels and helicopters, had been mobilized to find the 37 passengers

Maltese and Italian units were also reportedly involved in the search.

On Tuesday, Italian news agency Agenzia Nova said ongoing search efforts were focused on the coast between Sfax and the coastal city of Mahdia, about 80 miles (129 km) to the north.

Still, in Tunisia, politicians and family members of the missing passengers have expressed concern about how long it will take for concrete news.

“Imagine not knowing anything about a brother for six days. They sent planes, boats and everything to look for them, but there is no trace of them,” Jlaiel said. “Tunisians, Italians, Libyans… Everyone is looking but can’t find anything. It’s so weird.”

Majdi Karbai, a member of parliament responsible for Tunisians abroad, told Al Jazeera that the missing migrants and asylum seekers were “the latest victims of European migration policy”.

He criticized them The efforts of the European Union to curb irregular migration along the southern border as life-threatening.

Karbai added that he was in contact with family members in El Hencha. The continued lack of information about the lost boat is troubling for residents there, he said.

He feared the situation could spark unrest, as happened after another ship sank in 2022.

The southern Tunisian city Zarzis This shipwreck killed 18 residents, leading to protests over the speed of rescue efforts Economic situation That was the trigger for the fatal journey. Tunisian President Kais Saied eventually intervened to quell discontent.

“This is bad,” Karbai said of the current situation in El Hencha. “It could be very bad, like Zarzis.”

Poverty and lack of job prospects in Tunisia often lead locals to move to Europe to pursue a new life. However, other migrants arrive on Tunisia’s shores from other parts of the world, particularly from impoverished and conflict-ridden areas south of the Sahara.

Both Tunisia and neighboring Libya are important departure points for those wishing to travel irregularly by boat to Europe. But despite its popularity, the migration route is also one of the deadliest in the world.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) 2,498 This is known to be the case with migrants and asylum seekers drowned while crossing in the central Mediterranean in 2023. The true number is likely far higher.

In the first eleven months of 2023, the Tunisian National Guard intercepted almost 70,000 irregular migrants and asylum seekers. Of these, 77.5 percent had traveled to Tunisia from all over Africa. The rest came from Tunisia itself.

Ali Jlaiel from El Hencha was as typical a passenger as any. His brother Mohammed described the missing 25-year-old as someone who was struggling to settle in after a series of low-paying jobs, none of which were long-term.

“He felt cornered,” Mohammed Jlaiel said. “He had no hope for a good future.”

Ali’s last job was as a night security guard at the Mall of Sfax. But even with a stable salary, his budget barely covered his expenses, explained Mohammed.

“He got 600 dinars [$193] as salary [a month]. Ten dinars [$3] would be spent on daily transport from Hencha to Sfax. Added to this are the costs of his cigarettes and coffee. Nothing would be left. It’s depressing.”

“There is nothing in Hencha. And he is not a special case. The boat was full of our neighbors. Even kids as young as 13 and 14,” he said. “They all had no chance here.”