tunisian coast tunisian smugglers offer migrants seek fresh start europe new route africa italy thousands make dangerous 300 km journey libya italian island lampedusa year hundreds think die try cross mediterranean sea reach european shore crackdown libyan coastguard august force migrants smugglers find alternatives give tunisians opportunity sell spot overcrowd boat gulf tunis sicily number migrants try make trip short 150 km jump last month few leave libya tunisians flee economic hardship home others want avoid increase navy patrol lampedusa prefer arrive large island sicily easy pass unnoticed penalties smugglers migrants also light tunisia catch route sicily heavily guard lampedusa say hassen rebhi captain tunisian coast guard captain whose boat patrol water tunisia libya still much big departure point europe 108,000 reach italy libya 2017 accord international organisation migration iom tunisian arrivals rise 1,400 september 1,350 first months year many others believe reach sicily escape detection identification tunisian coast guard officials say foil 900 departure attempt september compare 170 august 80 percent tunisians also libyans moroccans sub-saharan africans route tunisia active 20,000 leave 2011 tunisians try escape political turmoil longtime president zine el-abidine ben ali oust tunisia international praise democratic progress number seek leave fell successive governments fail create job young people 40 km offshore rebhi boat pull alongside inflatable boat overload 14 young tunisian men hop make italy coast guard order switch engine climb aboard ship watch many videos young people arrive italy unemployed five years hope things get good tunisia say anwar tunisian shiver spend hours damp boat european officials worry influx tunisian jihadists thousands tunisians leave fight islamic state also make way europe include anis amri kill 12 people plow truck christmas market berlin italy last week urge tunisia increase patrol italian interior ministry spokesman say also want increase number tunisians repatriate 30 week least 80. tunisia navy step control arrival many sicily celebrate dance beach social media post powerful draw inflatable vow try cross prefer die sea stay tunisia without dignity say hassan chouchan 27-year-old lose job entertainer tourist resort please let us continue journey want stay shout coast guard frustrate young people openly discuss plan leave families aweld amer village near tourist resort sousse islamist militant shoot dead 39 foreigners 2015 tell reuters least 300 4,000 residents leave italy 600 youths southern city tataouin leave 1500 young people leave coastal towns hargeleh monastir sfax chebba bizerte kelibia last month alone residents say government say encourage private project say 25-year old borhan sallem monastir port two-hours tunis want get loan buy fish boat refuse reuters meet group friends port monastir presence smuggler fisherman bring days late safely sicily relatives confirm interview come abruptly police car arrive port monitor possible smuggle activity migrants smuggler say worry get catch also feel trip safe boat drive fishermen less likely abandon local people rough seas libyan arm group get detain days trip safe go 30 50 people say smuggler farhat mansour 26-year-old tunisian pay smuggler 3,000 tunisian dinars 1,223 journey sicily say italian police put others detention center arrive month ago suspect militant tie still hold mansour find work live bridge tunisians regret maybe opportunities tunisia opportunities totally non-existent say smugglers offer new rout europe jobless tunisians