The situation in the Tunisian port city of Sfax has become increasingly tense and dangerous.
Recent events include the reported killing of a Tunisian by migrants, resulting in concerns over retaliation and mass expulsions.
Disturbing testimonies from sub-Saharan African migrants have emerged, with claims that Tunisian security forces have dumped hundreds of men, women, and children on the border with Libya.
In response to the escalating tensions, Tunisian security forces have placed some migrants in shelters to protect them from potential revenge attacks. Around 200 other migrants sought refuge at the Sfax train station, intending to escape to the capital, Tunis, according to reports from Radio Mosaique.
Unfortunately, the fate of hundreds of other migrants remains uncertain and grim. Reports indicate that they were taken to an isolated beach near the Tunisian-Libyan land border, where armed individuals from both countries were present.
One migrant, a 29-year-old man from Ivory Coast, recounted his experience as part of a group of 600 sub-Saharan migrants caught in a precarious situation in a “no-man’s land” between the Mediterranean Sea and the Tunisian-Libyan border near Ben Guerdane. He explained that he was intercepted while waiting in a safe house to board a small boat to Italy, two days before the death of the Tunisian individual.
According to the man’s account shared during a video call with The Associated Press and his GPS location shared via WhatsApp, more migrants were reportedly taken from their homes in Sfax during the nighttime in subsequent days.
Sfax, situated on Tunisia’s eastern coast, has become a major departure point for migrants and refugees intending to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. The city has seen a significant influx of people, primarily from sub-Saharan Africa, who undertake perilous journeys to Italy using small boats.
The name of the man, who said he entered Tunisia legally in 2019 and worked on a golf course, is being withheld for safety reasons.
Uniformed and armed men subsequently transferred his group to several police stations and National Guard bases before being dropped on the beach Sunday, he said.
The man spoke to the AP Wednesday and Thursday surrounded by other Black migrants including women and small children.
He accused the Tunisian National Guard of beating them and assaulting women in the group.
He also claimed that Libyan security at the border fired shots into the air to keep them at bay. A drone flew over them Thursday morning, he added.
Hostility towards Black migrants in Tunisia has been on the rise in recent months following remarks by Tunisian President Kais Saied in which he ordered a crackdown on sub-Saharan Africans.
They also come at the heel of a series of visits by European leaders pledging 1 billion euros ($1.09 billion) in financial aid to rescue the North African country’s crumbling economy and keep migrants from crossing the Mediterranean.