Fearful Migrants Flee Tunisian Capital after Surge in Racist Attacks
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Hundreds of West African migrants were seen leaving Tunis amid fears of violence following anti-migrant remarks made by Tunisian President Kais Saied.
Some 300 West African migrants were set to leave Tunisia on repatriation flights Saturday, fearful of a wave of violence since Saied delivered a controversial tirade last month, France 24 reported.
In his February 21 speech, Saied ordered officials to take "urgent measures" to tackle irregular migration, claiming without evidence that "a criminal plot" was underway "to change Tunisia's demographic makeup".
Saied charged that migrants were behind most crimes in the North African country, fueling a spate of sackings, evictions and physical attacks against the community.
The African Union expressed "deep shock and concern at the form and substance" of Saied's remarks, while governments in sub-Saharan Africa scrambled to organize the repatriation of hundreds of fearful nationals who flocked to their embassies for help.
A first group of 50 Guineans were flown home on Wednesday, while Ivory Coast and Mali prepared to repatriate a combined 295 of their citizens on special flights on Saturday, diplomats and community organizers said.