The search for a boat carrying around 40 Tunisian migrants, which disappeared a week ago, remains ongoing, according to a security official in Tunisia.

Hossam El-Din El-Jababli, spokesperson for the National Guard, informed the German Press Agency (dpa) on Wednesday that there is currently no information available regarding the whereabouts of the missing migrants.

The search operations, conducted at sea and by helicopters, are focused on the Sfax and Mahdia coasts.

Expressing frustration over the lack of updates since the boat's disappearance, families of the missing migrants reportedly erected roadblocks and set tires ablaze in the town of El Hancha on Tuesday, as reported by local media.

Relatives who lost contact with the migrants alerted the National Guard, prompting the launch of the search efforts, said El-Jababli.

According to security information, the boat set sail from the Sfax coast late at night on January 10, aiming to cross the Mediterranean for entry into Italy. The Italian authorities have provided no information regarding the incident.

Tunisian coasts have experienced a surge in migrant journeys seeking routes to Italy, particularly from sub-Saharan Africa. Thousands of migrants from this region reside in coastal cities.

Eastern Tunisia, alongside Libya, is the main departure point for thousands of illegal migrants escaping to Europe.

During the first 11 months of 2023, Tunisian authorities intercepted 69,963 migrants, compared to 31,297 in the same period in 2022, according to figures shared by the National Guard.

Of that figure, 77.5 percent (54,224) were foreigners, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, while the remainder (15,739) were Tunisian, compared to 59% foreigners in 2022.

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 2,270 people died attempting to cross the central Mediterranean in 2023, a 60 percent increase from the previous year.