Tunisian rights organizations have criticized Tunisia’s decision to accept deported nationals from France, a step deemed as a submission to European pressures.
Despite the reassurance by Interior Minister Tawfiq Sharaf Eddine, the organizations expressed concern over allowing the deportation of terrorism suspects and illegal migrants based on administrative and security grounds that violate human rights.
These concerns emerged following a visit by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanan to Tunisia on Friday. This visit was dedicated to discussing the deportation of Tunisian illegal immigrants accused of terrorist-related activity.
“We have a framework agreement between us and France, dating back to 2008, that organizes the return of Tunisians, and whoever proves to be Tunisian is welcome in his country, according to the guarantees laid down by the Tunisian constitution in this regard,” Sharaf Eddine stated.
For his part, the French minister suggested fighting illegal immigration through a European-Mediterranean framework that takes into consideration the challenges on both shores of the Mediterranean.
Observers see that several European countries exerted pressures on Tunisian President Kais Saied following the attack in Nice, which was carried out by Tunisian Ibrahim Al-Issawi.
In this context, Italian media reports revealed an Italian-French plan to curb illegal immigration coming from Tunisia. The plan is based on stationing aircraft and ships near Tunisian territorial waters to monitor ships and boats carrying illegal immigrants and notify relevant Tunisian authorities.
A total of 24 human rights and civil organizations sent an open letter to the French interior minister, denouncing "the use of terrorist attacks to pressure the Tunisian government to accept the mass forcible returns of migrants and to open detention centers in Tunisia.”
They voiced rejection of the hate speech promoted by some European officials and political forces against migrants.
