The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) has publicly denounced what it calls the silence of Tunisian authorities over the deaths of migrants, as the country remains one of the main departure points for people attempting to reach Europe across the Mediterranean.

The FTDES, a non-governmental organisation that monitors migration and documents abuses against migrants in Tunisia, says officials have failed to acknowledge or account for migrants who have died in shipwrecks, in the desert, or in detention conditions along the country's migration routes.

Tunisia sits on one of the busiest irregular migration corridors in the world. Thousands of people each year attempt the sea crossing from Tunisian ports and beaches toward the Italian coast, and the central Mediterranean route is regularly recorded as the deadliest migration route for migrants heading to Europe.

What does the FTDES allege?

According to the rights group, Tunisian authorities have stayed largely silent when migrants die — whether at sea, at the borders, or inside the country — instead of investigating the circumstances, informing families, or taking public responsibility for search, rescue and recovery efforts.

The organisation argues that this official silence leaves victims uncounted and families without answers. It also leaves civil society groups, who document shipwrecks and deaths independently, as the main source of public information on migrant fatalities involving departures from Tunisia.

The FTDES has previously reported on the conditions migrants face in Tunisia, including allegations of mistreatment, collective expulsions and unsafe detention, and it has repeatedly called on the Tunisian state to protect migrants' rights under national and international law.

Who is affected?

The criticism concerns several groups:

• Tunisian nationals attempting the sea crossing to Europe;
• Foreign nationals from sub-Saharan Africa who transit through or remain in Tunisia;
• Families of migrants who have died and who, according to the FTDES, receive no official accounting of what happened.

The group's statement places responsibility on the Tunisian government to break its silence, publish information on migrant deaths, and respond to what NGOs describe as a worsening humanitarian situation on the country's migration routes.

Why does this matter for migration policy?

Tunisia's role in Mediterranean migration has grown in recent years as departure patterns have shifted. European governments have sought cooperation deals with Tunis to curb departures, while rights organisations including the FTDES have warned that security-focused policies push people toward riskier routes and increase the death toll.

Against this backdrop, the FTDES's accusation targets a specific gap: the absence of official acknowledgment, investigation and reporting when migrants die. The group positions this silence as part of a broader failure to treat migrant deaths as a matter of public record and accountability.

What comes next?

The Tunisian authorities have not, according to the report, issued a detailed public response to the FTDES's denunciation. Rights groups are expected to continue pressing for transparent accounting of migrant deaths, official investigations into shipwrecks and border fatalities, and protection measures for migrants on Tunisian territory.

Readers seeking authoritative information on the situation should follow statements from the FTDES, Tunisian government channels and UN migration bodies monitoring the central Mediterranean route.