TUNIS —
Tunisian authorities intercepted five new migration attempts overnight and
rescued or intercepted 82 people, the interior ministry said on Friday.
اضافة اعلان
National Guard
units “from the north, center, south, and coast” of Tunisia foiled the attempts
“as part of the fight against irregular migration”, a statement said.
Tunisia is a key
departure point for migrants hoping to reach Europe — usually Italy — and sea
crossing attempts tend to increase during spring and summer.
Friday’s
statement said 76 people were rescued in four operations at sea, and another
six were intercepted on land in the Gabes and Sfax areas.
It did not
provide details on the nationalities of the migrants or report on the condition
of the boats they used.
The statement said
that both Tunisian and foreign currency were seized, although the amounts were
not specified.
Media in the
North African country reported a shipwreck on Tuesday off the Kerkennah islands
in which eight Tunisians — three women, four children and a man — died. Another
20 people were saved.
And on Sunday,
the National Guard said that 170 people from sub-Saharan Africa were among 255
migrants intercepted during 17 attempted crossings.
Tunisia and
Libya are the main points of departure for migrants trying to reach Europe from
Africa.
Tunisia is in
the throes of political and economic crises, and
Libya has been gripped by
lawlessness since 2011 that has seen militias turn to people trafficking.
Italian authorities say 34,000 people arrived in the country by sea up to July 22 this
year, compared with 25,500 over the same period in 2021 and 10,900 in 2020.
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