Tunis, Sep 1 (IANS): Tunisia has foiled 22 illegal immigration attempts to cross the Mediterranean to the Italian coast, National Guard Spokesman Houcemeddine Jbabli said.
Those attempts were thwarted by Tunisia's Maritime Guard late Tuesday and early Wednesday off the country's southern, central-eastern and northern coasts, Jbabli said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Maritime Guard also rescued 222 illegal immigrants, including 129 from African countries, according to the spokesman.
Located at the northern tip of Africa, Tunisia is one of the most popular transit points for illegal immigration to Europe, Xinhua news agency reported.
Although Tunisian authorities have adopted rigorous measures to tackle the problem, the illegal immigration attempts from Tunisia to Italy show no signs of abating.