On February 21, the Tunisian president, Kais Saied, described undocumented Black African immigrants as people bringing “violence and crime” to Tunisia. He also said that illegal border crossings from sub-Saharan Africa into Tunisia is a “criminal enterprise hatched at the beginning of this century to change the demographic composition of Tunisia” and called on security forces to expel undocumented migrants.
The president’s racist comments caused a wave of violence and abuse against thousands of Black Africans who live, study, and work in Tunisia, as well as Black Tunisian citizens who make up about 10% of the country’s population. These victims say they have faced racist attacks, evictions, firings, and dehumanizing treatment by the authorities. Many of these black immigrants have camped outside the embassies of their countries or UN agencies seeking safety or flights back home.
Many of the sub-Saharan African immigrants in Tunisia lost their jobs and housing overnight. Hundreds have been arbitrarily arrested and placed in wretched detention centers. Racism is becoming a problem in Tunisia on the very soil of Africa. This is an example –
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