On Sunday, the Tunisian National Guard said in a statement that Tunisia has foiled 65 illegal immigration attempts to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy.
Related:
Tunisia and Italy Discuss Bilateral Ties and Illegal Migration
According to the statement, posted on its Facebook page, Tunisia’s maritime guard thwarted these illegal immigration attempts between June 27 and June 29, and rescued 2,068 illegal immigrants from sinking boats during the operations.
Official reports state that, 47 of the illegal immigration attempts were foiled by National Guard units off the eastern coastal province of Mahdia and the southeastern province of Sfax, while the other 18 were foiled off the country’s northeast coast.
Tunisian National Guard also stated that these attempts were done during the days of Eid al-Adha and most of the migrants are from sub-Saharan African countries.
According to several reports, Tunisia, which is located in the central Mediterranean, is one of the most popular transit points for illegal immigration to Europe.
Although Tunisian authorities have adopted rigorous measures to tackle the problem, the number of illegal immigrants from Tunisia to Italy has been on the rise.
On Jun 7, Tunisian President Kais Saied met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to discuss bilateral ties and the illegal immigration problem.
