Yamna Salmi
05 February 2023•Update: 05 February 2023
TUNIS, Tunisia
Tunisia said it had foiled three irregular immigration attempts to cross the Mediterranean into Europe.
In a statement, National Guard spokesman Hosam Eddin Al-Jababli said 239 irregular migrants were arrested Saturday overnight while trying to illegally cross into Europe by the sea in the eastern towns of Mahdia, Nabeul, and the southern city of Sfax.
He added that the migrants were from Tunisia and a number of African countries.
The spokesman specified that another 16 Tunisians were arrested while planning to sail surreptitiously toward Italy.
For years, North African countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, and Morocco have witnessed attempts by migrants – mainly from sub-Saharan Africa – to reach Europe, hoping for a better life. While some of the migrants manage to reach their destination, others often die during the journey.
According to Tunisian authorities, over 20,000 irregular migrants had been arrested in 2021.
*Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report.
