The Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LTDH) has strongly condemned the escalation of "blatant violations" of human rights against sub-Saharan African migrants, denouncing practices of racial discrimination, assaults, as well as their targeted expulsion and displacement.
In a statement released on Friday, the LTDH also criticised "incitement campaigns" and the racist rhetoric that continues to fuel hatred against sub-Saharan migrants, expressing its indignation at the "silence" of the official authorities and, at times, their "complicity" in the plight suffered by these migrants.
Concerned about "recurring reports" of a possible transfer of refugees to the Tunisian-Libyan borders, the LTDH believes that this measure is undoubtedly "an explicit threat" to the transferred individuals, as well as a "blatant violation" of the minimum rules of human rights.
The League urged the Tunisian authorities to intervene without delay to put an end to the campaigns of arrests and forced expulsions, reminding them that these practices violate both the letter and spirit of the international conventions ratified by Tunisia, notably the 1951 Geneva Convention and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.
According to the LTDH, it is needless to point out that a comprehensive and respectful approach to the universal principles of human rights and relevant international agreements is the only way to find a solution to the migration crisis.
For the league, Tunisia is no longer to be turned into a guardian of the European Union's borders. It is no longer acceptable for Tunisia to serve as a mere executor of a multitude of "vague" agreements whose content escapes the knowledge of the public opinion, nor is it acceptable to see the country serving the interests of nationalist and far-right governments with racist electoral orientations and programmes, whose first victims are the Tunisian migrants themselves.
Furthermore, the League urges the Tunisian authorities to disclose to the public the content and clauses of the agreement with the European Union before accepting its terms or signing it.
It should be noted that Tunisia is working in collaboration with neighbouring countries, especially European Union countries, to find solutions to the problems of irregular migration flows.
A few months ago, the Prime Ministry provided a helpline for sub-Saharan migrants residing in Tunisia to report any transgressions against them.
It emphasised that this helpline aims to address complaints as quickly as possible and in compliance with the current legal provisions.
In the same vein, the Presidency of the Republic decreed measures in favour of sub-Saharan Africans in March 2023. This includes the issuance of one-year residence permits for students from African countries to facilitate their stay in Tunisian territory and allow them to periodically renew their identification documents within appropriate deadlines.
For those who wish to voluntarily leave the national territory, it has been decided to facilitate their departure in an organised framework, in prior coordination with the embassies and diplomatic missions of African countries in Tunisia.
It has also been decided, as part of voluntary departure, to exempt migrants from African countries from paying late penalties for those who have exceeded the authorised period of stay.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
