TUNIS, May 25 (NNN-TAP) – Tunisian navy, yesterday, rescued 100 illegal immigrants, off the country’s southeast coast, who were on their way to the Italian coast, aboard a makeshift boat, the Defence Ministry said.
“The rescue operation took place off Zarzis coast, in the province of Medenine, when a unit of the naval guard managed to rescue the immigrants from a sinking boat sailing to the Italian coasts,” said the statement.
“These illegal immigrants included 82 men, ten women and eight infants,” the statement added.
According to the statement, the rescued said, they sailed yesterday morning from Libya, towards the Italian coast.
They were transferred to the naval base in the city of Sfax and handed over to the National Guard in the region, to receive legal procedures.
The number of attempts of illegal immigration from the Tunisian coasts towards Italy, has been increasing, despite the strict measures taken by the Tunisian authorities to combat the problem.– NNN-TAP
