Close to 70,000 migrants were intercepted trying to cross the Mediterranean from Tunisia to Italy this year, more than double the 2022 figure, the Tunisian National Guard told AFP on Saturday. Tunisia, alongside Libya, is the principal departure point for thousands of migrants hoping to reach Europe. The number intercepted by Tunisian authorities was 69,963 for the first 11 months of 2023, compared to 31,297 in the same period last year, according to data from the National Guard. Foreigners made up 78 percent, while the rest were Tunisians. That was a significant shift from 2022, when 59 perce…