Tunisia arrests 127 irregular migrants off its shores

Tunisian authorities thwarted nine infiltration attempts along the country’s maritime borders, local media reported yesterday.

Houssam Eddine Al-Jabali, a spokesman for the interior ministry, explained in a statement that the Tunisian coast guard had arrested 127 irregular migrants from a number of African countries “over one night.”

“In an effort to address irregular migration, units of the National Guard were able to thwart nine surreptitious infiltrations off the country’s coasts, during the night between 1-2 November,” Al-Jabali said on Facebook, adding that 127 immigrants were arrested during the operation.”

The official pointed out that 118 of those detained held “different African citizenships.”

READ: Tunisia thwarts 18 irregular migration attempts to Italy

“Following consultations with the public prosecutor, authorities have taken the necessary measures,” Al-Jabali noted.

The Tunisian coasts continuously witness irregular migration attempts in the Mediterranean, especially on route between Libya and Italy. Almost every week, authorities arrest hundreds of migrants attempting to enter Europe.

Hundreds of thousands of people have made the perilous Mediterranean crossing in recent years, many of them fleeing conflicts and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.