Tunisia thwarts 6 irregular migration attempts

Irregular migrants are seen as operation carried out by the Tunisian National Guard in the south of Tunisia on October 28, 2022 [Yassine Gaidi/Anadolu Agency]

Tunisia said Monday that it had foiled six irregular immigration attempts to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, Anadolu News Agency reports.

In a statement, National Guard spokesman, Hosam Eddin Al-Jababli, said 179 irregular migrants were arrested overnight Monday while trying to illegally cross to Europe by sea.

He said the migrants were from Tunisia and a number of African countries.

In August, Tunisia said authorities had thwarted 1,509 irregular migration attempts since the start of this year.

For years, North African countries such as, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania and Morocco have witnessed attempts by Tunisian 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.

READ: Tunisia president calls for int’l cooperation to confront rising irregular migration

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