Tunisia stops illegal immigration into Italy

Xinhua News Agency quoted a statement from the Tunisian National Guard saying that the country successfully prevented 12 illegal immigration attempts to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy in the past two days.

Tàu chở người di cư tới nơi tiếp nhận tạm thời trên đảo Lampedusa, Italy. (Nguồn: AFP)

A boat carrying migrants arrives at a temporary reception centre on the island of Lampedusa, Italy. (Source: AFP)

The Tunisian National Guard has rescued 39 Tunisians from sinking boats in waters off the coast of Sousse, Nabeul and Msaken provinces.

However, the force did not provide information on the total number of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Last month, Tunisian security services launched an operation in the southeastern province of Sfax to tackle illegal immigration.

The initiative, led by Tunisian President Kais Saied, comes as the coast of Sfax has become an important departure point for illegal migrants seeking to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Located just 80 km off the coast of Tunisia, Lampedusa island is often chosen as the first stop for illegal sea crossings to Italy.

According to Corriere della Sera , Tunisia is playing a fundamental role in the immigration policy of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government, based on two levers: ending departures and speeding up the repatriation process, instead of focusing on promoting the redistribution of migrants to other EU member states.

Source