Tunisia foils 18 illegal immigration attempts: statement

Tunis [Tunisia], August 16: Tunisia has foiled 18 illegal immigration attempts to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy and rescued 630 individuals from sinking boats, the Tunisian National Guard said on Tuesday.
Tunisia's maritime guard thwarted these illegal immigration attempts late Monday night off the central coast of the country, the Tunisian National Guard said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.
"The group of illegal immigrants included 550 individuals of different African nationalities and the rest are Tunisian nationals," it said.
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 who attempt to go from Tunisia to Italy has been on the rise.
Source: Xinhua