Tunisia foils eight irregular immigration attempts, arrests 139 people

Irregular migrants during an operation carried out by the Tunisian National Guard against African irregular migrants who want to reach Europe illegally via the Mediterranean Sea on June 08, 2023 in Sfax, Tunisia [Hasan Mrad/DeFodi Images via Getty Images]

Tunisia said yesterday that it had thwarted eight irregular migration attempts and arrested 139 migrants over the weekend, Anadolu news agency reported.

In a statement, National Guard spokesman Hosam Eddin Al-Jababli said the detainees included 112 Tunisians, 26 migrants from sub-Saharan African countries and an Arab national.

He said the illegal migration attempts were thwarted in the coastal cities of Nabeul and Monastir on 17-18 June.

Three boats were also seized.

The spokesman said legal measures were taken against the migrants. No further details were given.

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.

According to Tunisian authorities, over 37,000 irregular migrants were arrested in 2022.

READ: Tunisia will not accept to be the guardian of any country’s borders

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