Tunis, Nov 29 (IANS): Tunisia rejects any attempts to turn it into a transit hub or a place of residence for illegal migrants, said the country's Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti.

Nafti made the remarks on Thursday during his meeting with visiting Director General of the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) Michael Spindelegger, Xinhua news agency reported quoting a statement released by the Tunisian Foreign Ministry.

During their talks, Nafti praised the existing cooperation between Tunisia and ICMPD and reviewed cooperation programs in migration governance and border management over the last decade.

The minister also underlined the importance of stepping up joint efforts to address the root causes of illegal migration.

For his part, Spindelegger expressed his satisfaction with the "excellent" level of cooperation with Tunisia, stressing ICMPD's readiness to continue strengthening cooperation on migration and border management with all stakeholders.