On Tuesday, the Tunisian National Guard said that it arrested 16 organizers of several migrant smuggling networks over the past 48 hours.
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According to the Tunisian National Guard Facebook page statement, the arrest operations were carried out in the southeastern province of Sfax and central Tunisia to crack down on illegal immigration.
In addition, official data indicate that 90 other wanted persons, 19 boats and a "significant" sum of money in different currencies were also seized in the operations.
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 heading to Italy has been on the rise.
Official data shows that Last Wednesday, twenty-three migrants were also arrested for illegal residency in the country.
According to official reports, for many years now, North African countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, and Morocco have witnessed attempts by migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, to reach Europe, hoping for a better life.
According to Tunisian authorities, over 37,000 irregular migrants were arrested in 2022.