Refugees found dead off Tunisian coast: Is the global community doing enough?
The recent news of more than 200 refugees dying off the cost of Tunisia in a period of 10 days has sparked widespread debates about the plight and treatment of refugees globally. Tunisian coastguards retrieved about 41 bodies from the waters, most found in a decomposed state. In recent years, Tunisia has faced an unmanageable increase in refugees and asylum seekers from North and sub-Saharan Africa who predominantly use Tunisia as a transit country into Europe due to its proximity to Italy. Coupled with this instability, the hostile treatment of Sub-Saharan refugees within the country by Kais Saied has further exacerbated the situation. This article analyzes the implications of the crises upon the security landscape in the continent along with the wider debate of asylum treatment in light of the pressing problems in Tunisia.
Why is Tunisia used as a transit country?
About 150 kms away from the Italian island of Lampedusa, Tunisia has traditionally been used as a transit country for migrants from North and Sub-Saharan Africa to travel to Europe with the promise of a better life. Given the deteriorating economic and political situation among its neighbors, most refugees and asylum seekers hail from Libya, Eritrea, Burkina Faso and given the recent eruption of violence in Sudan and the coup d’etat in Mali, these numbers have continued to rise. Since the beginning of the year, about 12,000 people have set sail from Tunisia unto Italy, marking a steep incline from the 1,300 during the same period in 2022. Over 3,000 people initiate this journey from Tunisia every single day, and oftentimes lose their lives before making it to the final destination.
Outrage regarding this treatment of refugees has led to widespread criticisms of the European Union (EU) and its asylum laws, which are accused of adopting a policy that focuses solely on the protection of borders of its states. European policy has been putting off migration management to Tunisia without considering the faltering state of the country. While blocking access of rescue ships from European waters, EU member states have been financing and logistically supporting countries like Libya to crack down on their irregular migrants and repatriate them in order to discourage migration into Europe. Naturally, this has led to arbitrary detentions, unwarranted violence and sexual abuse. Since the beginning of 2022, about 87% of migrants who transited through Libya have confirmed having experienced some form of violent treatment while in detention.
Are refugees wanted in the country?
In addition to the mistreatment of transit migrants within the country, President Kais Saed has voiced his xenophobic opinion towards migrants in the country, most recently with a speech delivered in February of this year. He iterated that the increased influx of undocumented migrants from the sub-Saharan migration belt is an attempt at changing Tunisia’s demography while contributing to its worsening economic issues. Coupled with such public degradation of migrants and the imposition of harsh anti-immigration laws, Saed has been criticized of also being xenophobic towards the country’s domestic minority black population, which constitute about 10-15% of the country’s citizens.
Given the worsening economic conditions within the country, feelings of animosity and otherization of the minorities, asylum seekers and migrants have transcended even amongst the local population. By viewing them as a burden to the state system and as individuals who would take away their employment opportunities, there has been an increase in a wave of racist violence by the local population, which included physical assault and eviction of migrants from their homes and workplaces. In light of such violence, hundreds of migrants from countries such as Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal and Guinea were compelled to return to the instability of their own countries in fear of being forcibly evicted or arbitrarily detained, some sought protection from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) or the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and some undertook the dangerous path to Italy via the seas.
How has this impacted security?
Such mistreatment of the domestic population and the migrants within Tunisia’s borders is slowly changing the security landscape within North Africa, and is worsening with the acute economic crises, political unrest and infringement of rights of individuals across African countries. While organizations such as the UNHCR and the IOM have been providing asylum and humanitarian assistance, they are bound and often constrained by the whims of the host countries. As a result, it is crucial first to ensure that asylum policies are reworked and are built of cooperation, not on the lopsided nature of responsibilities undertaken only by the countries already facing domestic problems. European states, being in close proximity to North Africa must avoid mistreatment of refugees and closing off its borders in order to ensure that dignified treatment of refugees is undertaken. Undertaking such actions will not only avoid further threats to security, but will also ensure that refugees receive equitable treatment.