Twenty-three rights groups have accused the Tunisian state of cracking down on migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and "turning a blind eye to the rise of hateful and racist speech."
Human rights groups have charged the Tunisian government for targeting migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and tolerating racist online "hate speech" against them.
In a joint statement on Thursday (February 16) from 23 rights groups, including the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), the government was accused of "turning a blind eye to the rise of hateful and racist speech on social networks and in certain media outlets."
"In recent days, more than 300 migrants have been arrested, remanded in custody and placed on trial," said the statement.
Tunisian crack down on migrants
Authorities arrested some migrants from the sub-Saharan Africa region after simple identity checks or after attending court hearings to support relatives, the rights groups said.
They added that European migration policies were "transforming Tunisia into a key factor in surveillance of migration routes in the Mediterranean, particularly intercepting migrant boats outside territorial waters and transferring them to Tunisia."
More than 32,000 migrants, including 18,000 Tunisians, made precarious journeys from Tunisia to Italy in 2022, according to official Italian figures.
Rights groups appealed to the Tunisian government to "strive against hate speech, discrimination and racism... and intervene where necessary to guarantee the dignity and rights of migrants."
With AFP