The alarming human rights situation in Tunisia continues to worsen as the government systematically dismantles protections for refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants—particularly Black Africans. Over the past three years, Amnesty International reports that Tunisia has engaged in racially motivated policing, arbitrary arrests, and forced expulsions, placing countless lives at risk.
The European Union (EU) now faces growing criticism and possible complicity due to its ongoing cooperation with Tunisia on migration control, despite mounting evidence of rights violations.
Rights Abuses and EU Inaction
According to Amnesty’s latest findings, Tunisian authorities ended the UN Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) role in asylum processing in June 2024, removing the only official channel for refugee protection. Nevertheless, EU support for Tunisia’s migration control continues without sufficient human rights safeguards.
Amnesty’s report, “Nobody Hears You When You Scream: Dangerous Shift in Tunisia’s Migration Policy,” documents Tunisia rights abuses reports detailing mass detentions, sea interceptions, and collective expulsions to Libya and Algeria. Victims, including pregnant women and children, have faced torture, sexual violence, and abandonment in desert regions without food or water.
Amnesty’s Regional Director, Heba Morayef, urged the EU to suspend all funding and cooperation with Tunisia’s security forces until credible rights protections are enforced. “The EU must stop fueling violations and instead prioritize protection measures and asylum access,” she said.
A System of Racist Policing
The organization interviewed 120 refugees and migrants from nearly 20 countries between February 2023 and June 2023, revealing a disturbing pattern of racial profiling and violence. Testimonies describe refugees being beaten, raped, and forced into the desert after being intercepted at sea.
One Cameroonian migrant told Amnesty, “They kept hitting our boat… we saw babies drown.” Others reported being told by Tunisian officers, “Go to Libya, they will kill you,” before being abandoned across the border.
EU-Tunisia Cooperation Under Scrutiny
Amnesty International warns that EU funding for Tunisia’s coastguard and border management, meant to curb irregular migration, has effectively supported human rights violations. This cooperation persists despite previous EU criticism over similar abuses in Libya.
“The silence of the EU and its member states over these horrific abuses is alarming,” said Morayef. “Each day the EU continues this reckless support, it risks complicity in Tunisia’s assault on refugee rights.”
In July 2023, the EU signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tunisia without proper human rights impact assessments or accountability mechanisms. Despite repeated warnings, this partnership remains active, raising concerns over the EU’s commitment to international cooperation refugee rights.
For verified travel updates and safety advice on Tunisia, visit Travel Afrika Eye.
This story was first reported by Amnesty International. Read the full article here.
