The shipwreck took place on Thursday and at least one newborn baby is among those missing, said UNHCR representative to Italy Chiara Cardoletti on Friday, AFP reported.
The vessel left from Sfax in Tunisia and was carrying 46 migrants from Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast, said Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesman for the UN migration agency IOM.
The boat capsized in strong winds and high waves, he said. "Some survivors were taken to Lampedusa and others were brought back to Tunisia".
"Among those missing were seven women and a minor. The survivors are all adult men", he added.
The southern Italian island of Lampedusa is one of the main entry points for migrants crossing the Mediterranean. Last year, more than 46,000 people arrived there, out of a total of 105,000 in Italy, according to the UNHCR.
AMK/PR