About 23 migrants are missing after a boat set off from Tunisia in the direction of Italy, the North African country’s national guard has said.

Tunisia has been grappling with a severe migration crisis due to an influx of people from other countries in Africa and the Middle East seeking to migrate to Europe in boats.

It has replaced Libya as a main departure point for people trying to reach the West.

The national guard said it had deployed floating units and had informed the navy to help in the search for the missing people.

On Thursday, a majority of EU members called for more agreements with countries where migrants depart from or travel through to get to Europe, saying the EU needs to think outside the box to tackle irregular migration into the 27-member bloc.

It came a day after the European Union endorsed sweeping reforms to the bloc’s asylum system as campaigning for Europe-wide elections next month gathers pace, with migration expected to be a key issue.

The New Pact on Migration and Asylum lays out rules for EU members to handle people trying to enter without authorisation, from how to screen them to establish whether they qualify for protection to deporting them if they are not allowed to stay.

Out of Africa – and those worried about a return

Senegalese families mourning deaths of hundreds of young men trying to reach Europe

Dad’s grief as he buries daughter, 7, crushed to death on cross-Channel migrant boat

However, the vast reform package will only enter force in 2026, bringing no immediate fix to an issue that has fuelled one of the EU’s biggest political crises, dividing nations over who should take responsibility for migrants when they arrive and whether other countries should be obligated to help.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Related posts:

‘About 200’ children abducted after school ambushed by gunmen on motorbikes in Nigeria China to allow couples to have three children in bid to reverse ageing population Nadal pulls out of Wimbledon with injury – for Kyrgios to compete in final ‘Pick up my leg’: With paramedics as they treat woman near Ukraine’s frontline during aerial attack American-Israeli citizen identified as West Bank shooting victim Iranian female pupils poisoned in classrooms in suspected plan to stop school attendance Violence in Palestinian town described as ‘a pogrom’ by Israeli military commander More than 220,000 Russian troops and mercenaries killed or injured in Ukraine, UK defence sec says Greece’s conservative prime minister wins re-election What is happening at the Gaza-Egypt border? Denmark calling up women for military service as it seeks to ‘avoid war’ Poland to remove dozens of ambassadors at ‘challenging’ time