عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Tunisia Supports ‘Voluntary Return’ of Migrants Following Clashes with Locals

A record number of sub-Saharan migrants arrived in Tunisia in 2023 to cross from there to the shores of Europe. (AFP)
A record number of sub-Saharan migrants arrived in Tunisia in 2023 to cross from there to the shores of Europe. (AFP)
TT
TT

Tunisia Supports ‘Voluntary Return’ of Migrants Following Clashes with Locals

A record number of sub-Saharan migrants arrived in Tunisia in 2023 to cross from there to the shores of Europe. (AFP)
A record number of sub-Saharan migrants arrived in Tunisia in 2023 to cross from there to the shores of Europe. (AFP)

Tunisian authorities are coordinating with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to respond to the plight of migrants in Jebiniana and Al Amra in the province of Sfax by supporting and facilitating their “voluntary returns,” a spokesman for the Tunisian National Guard said on Thursday.

Brigadier General Hossam El-Din Al-Jabali, spokesman for the General Administration of the National Guard, said the IOM and the Red Crescent inspected the situation of migrants who have been stranded in Jebiniana and Al Amra for months.

He said the migrants wish to return to their countries.

Last week, bloody clashes erupted between the migrants and locals, who had protested against their arrival in large numbers in Tunisia.

The IOM said it has aided the voluntary return of migrants from Tunisia to their countries of origin under the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) program.

According to the Tunisian Interior Ministry, 7,100 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have already left Tunisia under the program between March 2023 and May this year.

On May 9, the IOM said it facilitated the voluntary return of 161 migrants from Tunisia to The Gambia, as part of the AVRR program.

Upon their return, these migrants will receive ongoing health and reintegration support to help them rebuild their lives, IOM said in a statement.

Tunisian President Kais Saied described the influx of irregular migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa to Tunisia as an “unnatural” situation calling at a meeting of the National Security Council to deal with the situation in a “different way.”

A record number of sub-Saharan migrants arrived in Tunisia in 2023 to cross from there to the shores of Europe. The Interior Ministry said there are more than 32,000 migrants in the country, including 23,000 illegal migrants.

Khaled Ghali, president of the Tunisian General Labor Union, called on the European Union to assist Tunisia in dealing with the crisis.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Fishers at a Lebanese Port Hope Ceasefire with Israel Means Normal Life is Returning

Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
TT
TT

Fishers at a Lebanese Port Hope Ceasefire with Israel Means Normal Life is Returning

Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah brought hope for normality back to many in southern Lebanon on Friday, including fishermen who have long launched their single-engine wooden boats into the Mediterranean at dawn.
During the last two months of its year fighting Hezbollah, Israel imposed a siege on southern Lebanon that kept hundreds of fishers at this ancient Phoenician port on shore, upending their lives and the industry.
While less important than destruction and displacement, the port siege cut many people off from the key ingredients for traditional Lebanese dishes like sayadiyeh — fish and rice boiled in fish sauce — or fried and grilled fish eaten with dips such as hummus and tabbouleh or fattoush salads.
The loss of fish damaged a deep association with home, but now the possibility of renewed Lebanese fishing on the country's southern coast is helping fuel hope for a brighter future.
On Friday, a few boats went out close to the shore as fishers in the port worked on the nets of small boats painted white, blue or red.
Hussein Sukmani, 55, said Friday that he was considering going to sea in coming days but was waiting to see how things unfold.
He hasn't dared set sail since the Israel-Hezbollah war dramatically intensified on Sept. 23. “They were days of fear and horror,” he said. "They were the most difficult days of our lives.”
A week ago, a drone strike killed two young fishers in the city as they prepared their nets on the coast, and some fishermen said Friday that the Lebanese army told them that if they headed out it would be at their own risk .
Among those who sailed near the coast on Friday was Walid Darwish, who returned to the port with two plastic boxes filled with mullet.
“Today is the first time that we sail,” Darwish said, adding that fishers had missed the prime season in October and November.
“We lost it,” he said.
The Israeli army barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the border in October and has not said whether the warning is still in effect.
Sukmani said that most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the port have not sailed out of concern since then.
The area around the port is a predominantly Christian neighborhood that has been spared much of the airstrikes on other parts of Tyre that leveled buildings in this city.
In peaceful times, the port is a major tourist attraction, beloved by Lebanese and foreigners who come for the views, the restaurants and the beaches.
On Friday, Mohammed Hammoud walked along the coast of Tyre carrying his fishing rod.
“It is enough that someone is able to stand in this beautiful area,” he said, pointing to the white sands. “Fishing is everything for me,” added Hammoud, who went to fish several times in the area north of the city of Sidon that was not part of the siege.
In the old market of Tyre, Gilbert Spiridon watched from inside his shop as people came to buy freshly brought fish. Before the war, it took hours to sell all his fish to people from around Lebanon.
“All I wish is that the war has ended and we are back on track to the old good days,” he said.