Eight migrants from various countries died and 29 others were rescued after their boat capsized off the coast of Sfax in central Tunisia, the Tunisian National Guard told AFP on Monday.

The migrants were "all foreigners", including some from Sub-Saharan Africa and others of different nationalities, said Houcem Eddine Jebabli, a spokesman for the National Guard.

The Tunisian Defence Ministry said the shipwreck occurred early on Sunday.

Tunisia is a key transit country for thousands of Sub-Saharan migrants seeking to reach Europe by sea each year, with Italy's island of Lampedusa only 150 kilometres (90 miles) away.

Irregular migration

Earlier this month, authorities began dismantling informal camps near Sfax where thousands of migrants, mainly from Sub-Saharan African countries, stayed.

With the European Union's mounting efforts to curb migrant arrivals, many irregular migrants feel stranded in Tunisia.

In 2023, Tunisia signed a 255-million-euro ($290-million) deal with the EU, nearly half of which was earmarked for tackling irregular migration.

The deal, strongly supported by Italy's hard-right government, aimed to bolster Tunisia's capacity to prevent boats leaving its shore.

Irregular border crossings

Frontex, the EU's border agency, has said that irregular border crossings were down 64% last year through September for the central Mediterranean route.

Last month, Tunisian President Kais Saied called on the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to accelerate voluntary returns for irregular migrants to their home countries.