TUNIS, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian authorities have been dismantling camps housing undocumented sub-Saharan African migrants in the El Amra area near the eastern port city of Sfax, Tunisian National radio reported on Thursday.
"Tunisian authorities began dismantling camps housing illegal migrants from sub-Saharan Africa on Thursday morning in Henchir El-Karkeni, located in the El-Amra area of the southeastern province of Sfax," the radio quoted Moez Triaa, spokesperson for the Civil Protection, as saying.
According to Triaa, the camp sheltered around 2,500 individuals.
Bladed weapons were recovered during the operation, which the authorities said was conducted without the use of force.
National Guard units continued to inspect the site, and vulnerable individuals, including pregnant women and infants, were transferred to hospitals with support from the health ministry, civil protection teams, and the Tunisian Red Crescent.
Earlier this month, authorities dismantled the largest migrant camp in the region, which hosted approximately 4,000 people.
Around 20,000 undocumented migrants were concentrated in the El Amra and nearby Jebniana areas of Sfax province, a region that has become a primary departure point for people attempting perilous sea crossings to Italy.
Tunisia, situated in the central Mediterranean, faces pressure as a major transit point for migrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East seeking to reach Europe, often embarking on dangerous boat journeys towards the Italian island of Lampedusa. ■