As of May 29, Tunisia’s National Guard spokesperson reported that around 3,400 undocumented migrants have utilized the country’s offer of voluntary repatriation since the start of the year.
On May 29, Radio Sfax reported that National Guard spokesperson Houssemeddine Jebabli had stated that around 3,400 undocumented migrants had voluntarily left Tunisia since the beginning of the year. Jebabli added that the country currently runs two flights for voluntary return every week and numerous individual departures also occur.
He said, ” a special flight was organized from the Tunis-Carthage airport, and another is scheduled for today as part of the voluntary return program.”
Jebabli emphasized that Tunisia had successfully strengthened border controls, particularly along its maritime borders, and limited the entry of migrants via land.
He said that more and more migrants are beginning to understand that Tunisia is not a transit zone for Europe, so they are departing from other coasts outside the country in their attempts to cross the Mediterranean.
Jebabli also mentioned the ongoing efforts of the Tunisian authorities to dismantle a makeshift camp for undocumented migrants in El Amra. The camp is located 21 kilometers from the Sfax governorate on state property and houses approximately 3,000 migrants.
“The state is acting firmly to restore order, recover public property, and return private property to its rightful owners,” said the spokesperson, stressing that the evacuation of the El Amra camp is being carried out peacefully following negotiations between the secret service and the migrants.
Jebabli explained that the operation involves several agencies from the Interior Ministry, as well as the Tunisian Red Crescent, Tunisian Scouts, and Sfax local authorities.
Tunisian authorities generally do not disclose where migrants expelled from camps are relocated or how many remain in Tunisia.
TunisianMonitorOnline (NejiMed)
