Tunisian Security Forces Accused of Abusing Black African Migrants, says Human Rights Watch
Tunisian security forces have been committing serious abuses against black African migrants, says leading NGO Human Rights Watch.
EU and Tunisia Sign Deal to Stem Migration Flows
The findings in a report out on Wednesday (19 July) comes as the EU and Tunisia signed a deal to stem migration flows.
Abuses Committed by Police, Military, and Coast Guard
Based on interviews with migrants and refugees, as well as Tunisian-based civil society, the report says the violence has been committed by the police, military, and the coast guard.
EU Deal with Tunisia Faces Increasing Scrutiny
The report throws an increasingly long shadow over the EU deal with Tunisia, whose autocrat leader president Kais Saied had earlier this year ordered a crackdown against migrants.
EU Funding for Tunisia’s Borders
Part of that deal includes shoring up Tunisia’s land and sea borders through an additional €105m of EU funding. The country is also set to get eight new search-and-rescue vessels. Another 17 refurbished boats from a previous agreement are also in the pipeline.
EU Must Share Responsibility for Migrants’ Suffering
Lauren Seibert, a Human Rights Watch researcher, said the financial support to Tunisia means the EU also needs to share responsibly for the suffering of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Tunisia.
UN Experts Warn Against Collective Pushbacks
The report also comes amid warnings from UN experts against collective pushbacks by Tunisian authorities.
African Migrants Dumped Along Tunisia’s Borders
Reports have been emerging of sub-Saharan African migrants dumped along Tunisia’s border with Libya and Algeria, leaving many destitute and exposed to extremely harsh desert conditions without any food or water. Human Rights Watch, in their report, say up 1,200 people were expelled.
UN Urges Tunisia to End Deportations and Combat Racist Hate Speech
The UN experts have since asked the Tunisian government to end the deportations, as well as to stamp out the racist hate speech against migrants in the country.
EU Views Deal with Tunisia as Strategic Partnership
For its part, the European Commission views its deal with Tunisia, which also includes energy, trade, and macro-economic stability, as a strategic partner.
EU Deal Seen as Political Gamble
But the agreement is largely seen as a political gamble by a European Union ready to cut deals with an autocrat in order to prevent people from fleeing Tunisia by boat towards Italy. Tunisia is about 130km from the Italian island of Lampedusa and has become the main departure point for people leaving towards Europe by boat.
Mixed Reactions from MEPs
Earlier this week, MEPs in the civil liberties committee had also slammed the deal over the lack of transparency on funding, as well as on rights abuses committed under Saied’s watch.
Concerns Over Financing an Autocrat
“It’s very clear a deal has been made with a dictator who’s cruel, who’s unreliable,” said Dutch liberal MEP, Sophie In’t Veld.
Similar comments were made by Birgit Sippel, a German socialist MEP.
“We are now again financing an autocrat without political democratic scrutiny here in the house. And this will not be a solution. It will strengthen an autocrat in Tunisia,” she said.
