Makeshift migrant camp housing thousands destroyed in Tunisia
The authorities in Tunisia dismantled a makeshift camp which was home to thousands of migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to France 24 on April 5th, the camp – located in the eastern regions of El Amra and Jebeniana – was home to around 20,000 migrants.
National Guard spokesman Houcem Eddine Jebali said that some “dispersed into the countryside” however pregnant women and other vulnerable people were taken care of by the local health authorities.
The camp had become a source of contention for the local community with people from nearby villages complaining to the authorities about the situation.
Locals had taken legal action after migrants had occupied their olive groves.
Jebali told reporters: “It was our duty to end all the disorder.”
The destruction of the makeshift camp was not an isolated incident as in recent years Tunisia has been seeking more extreme measures to tackle the arrival of migrants into the country.
Earlier this year, the Tunisian government proposed a bill that would allow them to deport “irregular” migrants back to their home country – a proposition that was condemned by the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Tunisian government have cracked down on activists and pro-immigration protestors.
On May 7th 2024, Tunisia’s public prosecutor detained activists and leaders from migrants’ rights groups across the country.
An anti-migrant culture has sept into the politics of Tunisia, led by President Kais Saied.
Saied has called for the International Organisation for Migration to speed up the process of returns for irregular migrants.
The arrival of migrants from Sub-Sahara Africa continues to be a problem for the Tunisian authorities.
The size of the Sahara makes it incredibly difficult to track groups who are often led by smugglers or human trafficking gangs.
Once migrants leave Tunisia they then embark on one of the most dangerous parts of the journey as they cross the Mediterranean sea to Europe.
The route has a high fatality route and Tunisia is often used as the launch sight.
France 24, Maghrebi
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Enter your email address and name to receive our weekly newsletter.
