Amnesty International has raised concerns about Tunisia’s treatment of sub-Saharan migrants, highlighting violent police actions, expulsions, and discriminatory legal frameworks that infringe on basic human rights. The organization underscores the potential complicity of European governments, pointing to continued financial support for Tunisia’s border operations. This partnership, valued at €105 million under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2023, aims to curtail irregular migration but has faced criticism for perpetuating ineffective and harmful migration policies (JURIST).
Tunisian law enforcement has undertaken mass expulsions to barren areas near Libya and Algeria, arbitrary detentions, and numerous attacks on Black migrants and refugees. As part of a broader intensification of anti-Black rhetoric, these actions have diminished legal protections for migrants. Warnings from local civil society groups, including the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, indicate that the government is keen to preserve European Union funding at the expense of humanitarian obligations.
In May, El Amra near Sfax became the epicenter of rising anti-migrant sentiment, with local protests demanding the expulsion of sub-Saharan Africans. Legislative amendments to Law 68-7 were subsequently proposed, threatening increased penalties for undocumented migrants and those assisting them. Human rights organizations have cautioned that such measures could exacerbate xenophobic violence and criminalize migration further.
The situation traces back to President Kais Saied’s inflammatory remarks in February 2023, suggesting sub-Saharan migrants aimed to alter Tunisia’s demographic landscape. This rhetoric has fueled racist violence, forced displacements, and numerous arrests. Amnesty International has documented instances where police either neglected to act or participated directly in these assaults, adding fuel to the fire. The UN Special Rapporteur, Maya Sahli Fadel, decried the expulsion of hundreds of Black migrants to the Libyan desert in July 2023, describing it as “brutal and barbaric” and urging Tunisia to respect its commitments under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
By aligning itself with European deterrent strategies, Tunisia has endorsed a border enforcement approach that shifts responsibility to North African partners, often at the cost of neglecting crucial humanitarian protections. Critics are calling on Tunisia to cease collective expulsions, rigorously investigate allegations of violence perpetrated by security forces, and ensure unfettered access to asylum processes. They also urge the European Union to review and potentially suspend funding mechanisms that facilitate violations against refugees and migrants. Meanwhile, the full Amnesty International report elaborates on these claims, advocating for a reassessment of current migration policies and funding priorities.