"There are criminal networks that traffic in human beings in the countries of origin or in countries of destination in Europe," Saied said during a phone call with President of the European Council Charles Michel.

"Security solutions alone are not enough to eliminate the scourge," he added, calling for a new collective approach mainly by eliminating the root causes.

The Tunisian president reiterated that an international meeting must be held with the participation of all countries concerned with the issue.

Saied and Michel also discussed a number of other issues of common interest such as bilateral cooperation and Tunisia’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

Located in the central Mediterranean, Tunisia is one of the most popular transit points for illegal immigration to Europe.

Although Tunisian authorities have adopted rigorous measures to tackle the problem, the number of illegal immigrants from Tunisia to Italy has been on the rise.