Tunisian National Guard successfully foiled 65 attempts at illegal immigration across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy in a three-day period in late June, according to a statement released on Sunday.
The statement, posted on the National Guard’s Facebook page, detailed that these incidents occurred between June 27 and June 29. The maritime guard units rescued a total of 2,068 individuals from sinking boats during these operations.
About 72% of these thwarted attempts were intercepted by the National Guard units off the coasts of the eastern province of Mahdia and the southeastern province of Sfax. The remaining attempts were stopped off Tunisia’s northeastern coast.
Tunisia, located in the central Mediterranean, has become a popular point of departure for illegal immigration to Europe. Despite rigorous measures implemented by Tunisian authorities to combat this issue, the number of illegal immigrants traveling from Tunisia to Italy continues to rise.