The Tunisian National Guard has said that the drop in the number of migrants arriving in Europe is due mainly to a decrease in the number of people crossing Tunisia's land borders.

In a December 18 statement on Facebook, the National Guard added that "Tunisia reiterates its refusal to be a transit or destination country for irregular migration, underscoring its commitment as part of its regional role for the achieving of security and stability."

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'Coordination between National Guard and Army'

"The National Guard and the Army are increasing their presence on the border and the result is a significant drop in the number of irregular migrants," the statement added.

"This year, Tunisia's borders saw a significant drop in the number of irregular and infiltrated migrants, especially from sub-Saharan Africa, which shows the success of the National Guard and Army units in protecting land and sea borders," it continued, "operating 24/7 in an effective manner to prevent infiltrations and illegal border crossings."

The statement went on to explain that "the coordination on the ground between the National Guard and Army units contributed to achieving tangible results, with a significant drop in infiltration attempts across land and sea borders."

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'Collaboration with bordering countries essential'

"Also the close collaboration with bordering countries played a fundamental role in reducing the number of those infiltrating the country, since coordination with these countries continues to ensure firm control over borders and to foster regional stability," the Tunisian National Guard continued.

"These results confirm the success of the strategy for managing Tunisia's borders, which is based on a strong regional partnership and on sustained national efforts," the statement said, which ended by reiterating the commitment of the Tunisian authorities "to continue efforts to strengthen security and protect the borders, in line with national laws and international standards."