Tunisia shuts down migrant camps, begins mass deportations amid migration crisis
Tunisian authorities have dismantled makeshift camps housing approximately 7,000 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and have begun forcibly deporting some of them, a government representative said Saturday, citing an unprecedented migration crisis as the reason behind the crackdown.
In brief
Tunisian authorities dismantled makeshift camps housing 7 thousand migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa and began forced deportations of some of them on Friday evening. National Guard spokesman Hussem Ad-Din Dżebabli told the Reuters agency that many migrants had been arrested for violence and that bladed weapons, including knives and swords, had been confiscated. The Tunisian government reports that around 20 thousand migrants who were prevented from crossing the Mediterranean Sea are camping in the forests around the towns of Al-Amra and Dżebiniana. Local human rights organisations accuse the authorities of racist rhetoric.
National Guard spokesperson Houssem Eddine Jebabli told Reuters that many migrants had been arrested for violent behavior during the ongoing operation. The forced deportations began Friday evening, and officials are also working to voluntarily repatriate thousands more, he added.
Jebabli described the number of forced deportations as "significant," though no specific figures were provided. Authorities reportedly confiscated bladed weapons, including knives and swords, during the operation.
The government stated that around 20,000 migrants have been living in tents in the forests surrounding the southern cities of Al-Amra and Jebiniana, after authorities blocked their attempts to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
According to Reuters, clashes between migrants and local residents—who have demanded the migrants' removal—have become increasingly common.
Local human rights groups have condemned the government's actions, accusing officials of racist rhetoric and hate speech, and denouncing the crackdown that has led to the arrest of activists assisting African migrants.
Tunisia’s approach to curbing illegal migration has won praise from Italian authorities in recent months, who have applauded Tunis for its efforts to stem the flow of thousands of sub-Saharan migrants attempting to reach Europe by boat.
Source: PAP / Gazeta Morska · Compiled by: Kamil Kusier
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