Tunisian Citizens Protest Against Immigration – €1B Deal with EU To Curb Migrant Ships Leaves Tens of Thousands of Sub-Saharan Africans Stranded in Mediterranean Coast
By Paul Serran May. 20, 2024
But now, the troubles of illegal migration are starting to affect other parts of the world, with Eastern Europe up in arms against it, and even in North Africa, where citizens in Tunisia are protesting against it.
Hundreds of Tunisians marched through the coastal town of Jebeniana to protest ‘the presence of sub-Saharan migrants’.
These unwanted guests have found themselves stranded on their way to Europe, as the country ramps up border patrol efforts.
Anti-migrant anger is mounting as the Tunisian coastline became a boarding place for thousands of people hoping to reach Europe by boat.
Associated Press reported:
“Chanting slogans to oppose settling migrants in Tunisia, protesters demanded the government act to assist agricultural communities dealing with thousands of migrants living in tarpaulin encampments among their olive groves.
‘You brought them here and it’s your responsibility to send them back to their home countries’, Moamen Salemi, a 63-year old retiree from nearby El Amra, said at the protest. ‘There is a shortage of food throughout the city of El Amra, including sugar, flour, bread and many other items’.
A final stop for many who dream of a better life in Europe, Jebeniana and El Amra reflect the compounding problems facing Tunisia, a key transit point for migrants from Syria, Bangladesh and a variety of sub-Saharan African nations.”
Police has expanded its presence in the area.
83,000 Tunisians now have to live among a growing number of migrants from around the world.
“Protesters say they have borne the cost of Tunisia’s effort to prevent migrants from reaching the European Union less than a year after the country brokered an anti-migration pact with the 27-country bloc to better police its sea border and receive more than $1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in aid.
The Tunisian Coast Guard has said it has prevented more than 21,000 migration attempts by land or sea this year. Fewer than 8,000 successfully traveled by boat from Tunisia to Italy in the first four months of 2024, a threefold decrease from 2023, according to the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR.”
In late 2023, the city of Sfax saw the appearance of the first anti-migrant protests erupted in African soil.
Now the protests have expanded to Jebeniana and also El Amra, where a protest also took place a few weeks ago.
Tens of thousands of migrants are now living near Jebeniana and El Amra.
