The head of Tunisian diplomacy told AFP on Monday that his country advocated “appeasement”, while ruling out apologizing after the outcry aroused by a speech denounced as racist by President Kais Saied on sub-Saharan migrants.
President Saied called on February 21 for “urgent measures” against the illegal immigration of nationals of sub-Saharan African countries, saying their presence in Tunisia was a source of “violence and crimes”.
Referring to the arrival of “hordes of illegal immigrants”, he argued that this immigration was part of a “criminal enterprise” intended to change the demographic composition of Tunisia in order to blur its “Arab-Muslim” character.
Several NGOs denounced “racist and hateful” speech and the African Union condemned “shocking” statements, calling on member countries to “refrain from any racist hate speech”.
“It’s really a bad trial of misleading interpretation of the words of the Tunisian high authorities on this subject. It’s been a few days since this happened and we must now keep a cool head, we must appease, and the messages of appeasement have already been conveyed through official and other channels,” Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar told AFP.
“No, it’s not about apologies at all, we haven’t hurt anyone,” he added.
According to official figures quoted by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), Tunisia has more than 21,000 nationals of sub-Saharan African countries, the majority in an irregular situation, i.e. less than 0.2% of a population. total of about 12 million.
“For migrants who are legal, there is no problem. On the contrary, we want more,” added the minister. “And illegal migrants are called upon to return home, but with respect for their rights and their dignity”.
After President Saied’s charge, several NGOs and witnesses reported an upsurge in attacks against African migrants who feel “delivered to popular vindictiveness” according to representatives of this community.
“We must not mix up individual acts and the acts of the authorities. The authorities are taking all measures to protect all migrants in Tunisia, whether legal or illegal,” Ammar said.
The minister defended Mr Saied’s speech, arguing that “the Tunisian authorities are within their right to warn when there are increasing flows of illegal immigrants with all the consequences that this may entail”.
Mr Saied’s statements about the existence of a ‘criminal enterprise’ aimed at changing the demographic composition of Tunisia have drawn comparisons with the ‘great replacement’ conspiracy theory endorsed in France by far-right polemicist Eric Zemmour.
“It’s just one element, why the commentators seized on this element there to make it the central element? And even if this study exists, what is the problem, it is not the Tunisian authorities who have it? written,” Ammar said.
“There were even testimonies on videos, I don’t want to quote them because I don’t want to participate in developing this controversy, but there were testimonies made by sub-Saharans who said precisely here we are here at us etc,” he added.
Most sub-Saharan migrants arrive in Tunisia in an attempt to illegally immigrate to Europe by sea. According to NGOs, Tunisia, whose coastguards regularly intercept migrant boats bound for Europe, has become a key player in monitoring migration routes in the Mediterranean.
“We are sandwiched between north and south and when we say there is a problem people call us racist, you see how unfair that is,” Ammar protested.
He denied accusations by NGOs and the opposition that Mr. Saied’s speech on migrants was aimed at distracting attention from deteriorating living conditions and a political situation that had become further tense in February with a series of arrests.
“Of course not, it’s their interpretations, it’s not the reality,” he said.
02/27/2023 17:40:34 – Tunis (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
