TUNIS, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian authorities asked for the release of six Tunisian fishermen detained by Italian authorities over accusation of facilitating illegal immigration, the Information and Communication Director of Tunisia Foreign Affairs Ministry Bouraoui Limam said Thursday.
The detainees are from Medenine province in southeast Tunisia. Tunisian Secretary of State for Immigration Adel Jarboui said "families of those fishermen must be reassured about the health state of their relatives, and Tunisian authorities will not let them down. The fishermen will be released as soon as possible."
On August 30, the six Tunisian fishermen at sea saw a boat carrying illegal migrants which might sink and helped the migrants aboard, 20 km away in Italian waters. They were later intercepted by Italian authorities, and charged with helping illegal immigration.
Five of the irregular immigrants were repatriated to Tunisia Monday, while the others, under the age of 18, are still at detention center in southern Italy.
