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"...during the rescue operation, a person threatened the agents with a meat cleaver..."
On Sunday, the Tunisian National Guard said that Tunisian navy rescued 108 illegal immigrants of different African nationalities off the coast of the southeastern province of Sfax.
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On its official Facebook page, the Tunisian National Guard stated that their agents rescued the group of illegal immigrants on Saturday from two sinking boats.
According to official reports, during the rescue operation, a person threatened the agents with a meat cleaver, while another poured four containers of gasoline on the roof of the boat.
In a statement released by the Tunisian Presidency, Kais Saied, President of Tunisia, described illegal immigration as an "inhumane and abnormal displacement process."
�� #SAR Op 15.07.23 - Libyan Coast Guard ship "Zawiya" rescued north of Ras Ajdir 30 #migrants from a so-called "floating coffin" (a homemade boat out of thin sheets of metal). The boat sailed from Tunisia and attempted to reach the NGO #GeoBarents vessel. #migrantcrisis pic.twitter.com/foDao0mmhF
— Migrant Rescue Watch (@rgowans) July 16, 2023
Saied also highlighted the presence of "criminal networks" involved in human trafficking, which utilize Tunisia as a transit point, posing a threat to the Northern African country.
"Tunisia gives asylum to those who seek refuge in it, but it refuses to be a land of transit or a land of settlement," Saied said.
Official data shows that Tunisia is one of the most popular transit points for illegal immigration to Europe; and, although Tunisian authorities have adopted rigorous measures to tackle the problem, the number of illegal immigrants from Tunisia to Italy has lately been on the rise.
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