Nearly 600 immigrants intercepted by Tunisian coast guards

TUNIS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian coast guards intercepted on late Wednesday night a total of 582 illegal immigrants who attempted to cross the Mediterranean toward the Italian coast, National Guard spokesman Houcemeddine Jbabli said Thursday.

A total of 20 illegal immigration attempts were foiled on the day, Jbabli said in a statement, adding that 494 of those immigrants detained are non-Tunisians.

Located in the central Mediterranean, Tunisia is one of the most popular transit points for illegal immigration toward Europe.

Although Tunisian authorities have adopted rigorous measures to tackle the problem, the number of illegal immigrants attempting to reach Italy via Tunisia has been on the rise.