Tunisia foils 65 illegal immigration attempts

TUNIS, July 3: Tunisia has foiled 65 illegal immigration attempts to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy, the Tunisian National Guard said on Sunday in a statement.

The statement, posted on its Facebook page, said Tunisia's maritime guard thwarted these illegal immigration attempts between June 27 and June 29, and rescued 2,068 illegal immigrants from sinking boats during these operations.

Forty-seven of the illegal immigration attempts were foiled off the eastern coastal province of Mahdia and the southeastern province of Sfax by National Guard units, while the other 18 were foiled off the country's northeast coast.

Located in the central Mediterranean, Tunisia is one of the most popular transit points for illegal immigration to Europe.

Although Tunisian authorities have adopted rigorous measures to tackle the problem, the number of illegal immigrants from Tunisia to Italy has been on the rise.