Tunisian protesters demand eviction of migrant encampment

Hundreds of Tunisians rallied Saturday successful the municipality of El Amra to protestation makeshift camps for migrants chiefly from sub-Saharan African countries, an AFP analogous said.

The objection successful the tiny municipality successful cardinal Tunisia follows caller crackdowns by authorities connected akin encampments successful the superior Tunis and different areas, often aft complaints from section residents.

In El Amra, protesters called for the “departure” of migrants and the “quick” eviction of the thousands estimated to beryllium staying there, the analogous said.

Lawmaker Tarek Mahdi said that the “immediate solution” should beryllium to get migrants to “leave municipality areas and cities”.

The concern has go “unacceptable” and “the authorities indispensable find a solution”, said Mahdi, who represents El Amra successful parliament.

He added that different countries should assistance Tunisia to woody with a “very important flow” of migrants.

The municipality is located astir 40 kilometres (25 miles) northbound of Sfax, a cardinal departure constituent for Europe-bound oversea journeys from wherever migrants had been forcibly removed precocious past year.

Many migrants person fled to towns similar El Amra, mounting up encampments earlier they tin marque the perilous Mediterranean crossing, arsenic Tunisian authorities and the European Union person ramped up efforts to curb irregular migration.

A surge of anti-migrant unit past year, pursuing remarks by President Kais Saied who painted “illegal” foreigners arsenic a demographic threat, has besides pushed galore retired of main cities and into smaller towns.

Migrants attempting the oversea crossing successful hunt of a amended beingness successful Europe often purpose to scope Italy, whose Lampedusa land lies immoderate 150 kilometres distant from Sfax, Tunisia’s 2nd city.

In caller weeks, authorities raided respective encampments, tearing down tents and expelling migrants.

The non-governmental Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights said that authorities successful Tunis connected Friday cleared encampments and expelled hundreds of asylum seekers, migrants and refugees, sending them successful buses to a occidental country adjacent the Algerian border.

In a statement, the interior ministry said “security measures” had been taken to “deal with attacks connected nationalist and backstage property”.

Last month, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Tunisia for a 4th clip successful little than a twelvemonth to motion deals aiming to curb migration.

A time earlier her visit, Saied said that Tunisia indispensable not go “a state of transit oregon settlement” for the tens of thousands of migrants attempting to transverse the Mediterranean to Europe each year.