Tunisian coast guard prevents 2,500 migrants from crossing the border Member of a Belarusian special unit for the court of St. Gall

The Tunisian coast guard says it has prevented more than 2,500 migrants from crossing to Europe in recent days.

The National Guard reported that a total of 2,507 migrants were intercepted from Friday through Monday alone. Nearly 600 Tunisians are said to have been among them. The remaining people were mainly migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.

According to Tuesday’s information, many of the migrants were stopped in the coastal town of Sfax. Due to its proximity to the Italian island of Lampedusa, many smugglers regularly send sometimes unseaworthy and overcrowded boats from here for the extremely dangerous crossing. Tunisia is now considered the main transit country for migrants from Africa on their way to Italy. The European Commission has announced a migration agreement with the North African country. In exchange for millions in financial support, security authorities should take more action against smugglers and boat abandoners.

Hundreds more boat migrants from North Africa in Lampedusa

At the same time, hundreds of boat migrants have reached the Italian island of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean Sea. On Tuesday alone, a total of almost 900 people arrived on the small island between Sicily and North Africa, the Ansa news agency reported on Wednesday. On Wednesday morning, another 171 migrants arrived at the port of Lampedusa on five boats.

(sda/dpa)