Brussels, Belgium, 24 October 2025 — Following news of a deadly shipwreck off the coast of Tunisia, Marta Welander, EU Advocacy Director of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), says:
“A devastating shipwreck off the coast of Tunisia has needlessly cost the lives of another 40 people, including young children. These individuals and families can be added to the list of more than 1,300 people to have died or gone missing attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea so far this year.
"There are currently more than 10,600 forcibly displaced people registered with UNHCR in Tunisia. Some 86% of them are from countries affected by conflict and widespread violence - almost half hailing from Sudan which is in the grip of the world’s largest humanitarian and hunger crisis. Yet despite the scale of these needs, fewer than 10 people registered with UNHCR left Tunisia via safe routes towards Europe in September 2025.
"Next week, Italy looks set to extend its migration deal with Libya first signed in 2017. However, experience shows that such cruel and costly agreements designed to stop people leaving in search of safety in Europe are fundamentally flawed. As of the end of June 2025, there was a 17% increase in arrivals in Italy from Libya compared to the previous year, while the number attempting to cross the Western Mediterranean has soared.
"Rather than repeating the same mistakes, it’s time for the EU and its member states to explore genuinely workable solutions, including expanding safe routes so people are not forced to risk their lives on these deadly journeys. Routes such as refugee resettlement allow states to welcome people in a safe way that benefits both refugees and their new host communities. The EU’s new Union Resettlement Framework would strengthen these vital programmes, and must be urgently put into action. Unless the EU swiftly changes its approach, these tragic and avoidable deaths at Europe’s borders will continue to mount."