TUNIS, Tunisia

Tunisia said it had thwarted six attempts by irregular migrants to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Europe.

In a statement, National Guard spokesman Hosam Eddin Al-Jababli said 94 migrants were rescued overnight Monday while trying to illegally cross into Europe by sea.

He added that all the rescued migrants were Tunisians in the coastal cities of Monastir, Nabeul, and Bizerte.

For years, North African countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, and Morocco have witnessed attempts by migrants – mainly from sub-Saharan Africa – to reach Europe.

According to Tunisian authorities, over 37,000 irregular migrants had been arrested in 2022.

*Writing Ikram Kouachi