Referring to the arrival of “hordes of illegal immigrants”the Tunisian president argued that this immigration was a matter of “criminal enterprise” intended to change the demographic composition of Tunisia in order to blur its character “Arab-Muslim”. After this charge by President Saïed, several NGOs and witnesses reported an upsurge in attacks against African migrants, who feel “handed over to popular condemnation”, according to representatives of this community.
Most of these migrants arrive in Tunisia to then attempt to smuggle into Europe by sea, with some stretches of the Tunisian coastline being less than 150 kilometers from the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The speech of Mr. Saïed, who concentrates all powers after having suspended Parliament in July 2021 and dismissed the government, comes as the country is going through a serious economic crisis marked by recurring shortages of basic products, against a backdrop of political tensions. .
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