TUNIS, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia has foiled 18 illegal immigration attempts to cross the Mediterranean to the Italian island of Lampedusa, the Tunisian National Guard said on Thursday.
"The maritime guard units thwarted these illegal immigration attempts off the coast of the southeastern Sfax province," it said in a statement on its Facebook page, adding that 49 organizers were arrested in the operations.
The statement didn't elaborate on the dates of the operations or the number of immigrants involved.
In recent months, Tunisia has intensified efforts to combat illegal immigration from its shores toward Lampedusa, the southernmost island in Italy.
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. ■