TUNIS, 23 November 2021, (TON): Tunisian authorities said that they had intercepted more than 200 migrants trying to reach the Italian coast, in nine separate operaions.

National guard spokesman Houssem Eddine Jebabli said "In the context of the fight against irregular immigration, units from the northern, southern and central regions managed to thwart nine (sea crossing) attempts" overnight Saturday to Sunday.”

The national guard said “the interceptions took place both at sea and on the coast, assisting 223 migrants from different African countries, including 111 Tunisians.”

Late last month, Tunisia's coastguard said it had thwarted six departure attempts and rescued 125 Europe-bound migrants, 112 of them from sub-Saharan Africa.

Earlier in October, four Tunisians migrants died and 19 others went missing after their boat capsized off the country's east coast.

More than 58,800 migrants have managed to reach Italy since the start of the year, most of them by sea, according to the UN refugee agency.

More than 1,300 have died or gone missing while trying to make the Mediterranean crossing, particularly to reach Italy, Spain and Greece.