Tunisia: Rights Groups Slam ‘Racist' Migrant Comments

Sub-Saharan African women look for clothes in a thrift store in the popular Ariana souk near Tunis on February 22, 2023. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP)
Sub-Saharan African women look for clothes in a thrift store in the popular Ariana souk near Tunis on February 22, 2023. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP)
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Tunisia: Rights Groups Slam ‘Racist' Migrant Comments

Sub-Saharan African women look for clothes in a thrift store in the popular Ariana souk near Tunis on February 22, 2023. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP)
Sub-Saharan African women look for clothes in a thrift store in the popular Ariana souk near Tunis on February 22, 2023. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP)

Tunisian rights groups accused on Wednesday President Kais Saied of racism and hate speech after he said "hordes" of sub-Saharan African migrants were causing crime and posed a demographic threat.

A statement from his office, decrying "a criminal plot... to change Tunisia's demographic make-up" without citing any evidence, has sparked an outcry online.

"Hordes of illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa are still arriving, with all the violence, crime and unacceptable practices that entails," Saied told his national security council on Tuesday evening, according to the statement.

Some Tunisians have taken to social media to accuse the president of outright racism and invoking right-wing conspiracy theories.

Advocacy group the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) said Wednesday Saied's discourse was "drowning in racism and hatred".

"The president is using the migration crisis... to distract attention from economic and social problems," spokesman Romdhane Ben Amor told AFP.

More than 21,000 sub-Saharan Africans live in Tunisia, including those with student visas and other legal residency, the FTDES says, citing official figures.

Many irregular migrants from the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Ghana and Guinea work badly paid, unofficial jobs to get by and save up for attempts to reach Italy.

Ben Amor said Saied's latest comments showed he had "obviously and totally caved in to pressure from the Italian authorities to stop the flow of migrants" towards European shores.

Tunisian anti-racism group Mnemty said it "condemns this racist discourse, which incites hatred and aggression, enmity and violence against black sub-Saharan African migrants".

In a joint statement, a coalition of 18 rights groups expressed their "complete and unconditional solidarity with sub-Saharan immigrants and their defenders".

Mostafa Abdelkebir, president of the Tunisian Observatory of Human Rights, said on Facebook the president's rhetoric does not represent the country "at all".



Syria’s Quneitra Under ‘Curfew’ Amid Israeli Occupation, Escalating Incursions

Taxi stand in the town of Khan Arnabah, Quneitra, Syria (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Taxi stand in the town of Khan Arnabah, Quneitra, Syria (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Syria’s Quneitra Under ‘Curfew’ Amid Israeli Occupation, Escalating Incursions

Taxi stand in the town of Khan Arnabah, Quneitra, Syria (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Taxi stand in the town of Khan Arnabah, Quneitra, Syria (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Visitors to towns in Syria's Quneitra governorate today notice a near-complete silence in the streets, with locals comparing it to a “curfew.” This is due to Israel occupying some villages and advancing into others.

Arriving at the outskirts of Khan Arnabah from the “Al-Salam Highway,” it's striking to see the entrance nearly empty of both people and cars.

The same scene is visible at the town's main roundabout, where four major roads branch out, leading to other towns and villages. Business activity along the roadside shops remains low.

At a corner, several taxi drivers wait for passengers, but with no success, prompting some to leave.

While some speculate that the quiet is due to Friday being a public holiday, a taxi driver insists that this situation persists throughout the week, with only slight improvements on regular days.

“The situation is very bad. There’s no work. It feels like a curfew here,” said a man, identifying himself as “Abu Mohammed,” to Asharq Al-Awsat.

With a deep sense of despair, he explained that the cause of this situation is Israel’s occupation of towns and villages in the province and its growing incursions into others, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8th.

“Last Wednesday at midnight, fear gripped the residents of Khan Arnabah due to loud explosions. It turned out they were caused by Israeli soldiers blowing up munitions and weapons at munition depot... at the entrance to the village of al-Jobeh.” Abu Mohammed added.

Two weeks ago, they stormed other military bases at the entrance to the village of Al-Samdaniah Al-Sharqiya, which lies to the west of Khan Arnabah. Their vehicles and soldiers also reached the roundabout.

Another taxi driver points out that Israeli soldiers have occupied the “government complex” in Al-Salam city, about 3 km west of Khan Arnabah, which houses several government departments.

“The complex is disabled because they've set up a large earthen barrier to prevent locals and employees from reaching it. It’s now a center for their tanks and vehicles. They also raided the city’s bakery, forcing residents away under the pretext of searching for weapons, as well as the cultural center and the telephone administration,” they added.

“The occupying soldiers terrorize the locals during their raids on towns and villages, imposing curfews and threatening to target anyone who steps outside,” the driver confirmed.

Among the villages Israel has occupied since the fall of Assad’s regime is Al-Hurriyaا, which falls under the administrative jurisdiction of Khan Arnabah, located 5 km to the west.