Migrants made homeless in Tunisia purge plead for assist

Natasha has nothing to return to in her native Sierra Leone, and nowhere to go however a grim camp in Tunisia’s capital since President Kais Saied introduced a crackdown on migrants.

“Please assist us,” she stated, tears in her eyes, standing outdoors an Worldwide Group for Migration (IOM) workplace in a Tunis enterprise district.

Natasha, 27, is one in every of lots of of migrants who’ve arrange the makeshift encampment since Saied final week ordered “pressing measures” towards them, sparking mass evictions by landlords fearing heavy fines and even jail.

Saied accused African migrants of inflicting a wave of crime and violence, making unsubstantiated claims that they represented a “plot” to vary Tunisia’s demographic make-up.

“After the president’s speech, Tunisian residents went to our properties, destroyed the whole lot we had, took our issues and beat us, me and my pals,” Natasha stated.

She now sleeps on the pavement within the winter chilly, with no washing amenities.

“This isn’t a spot for a human to reside,” she stated.

As evening fell, Tunisian and international volunteers introduced donations of meals, water and blankets, together with some tents, whereas younger docs gave free medical care.

“We favor to maintain it low-key,” stated Seif Ghrairi, an activist from the nation’s Anti-Fascist Entrance, swiftly fashioned within the days after Saied’s speech.

“Even associations gathering donations (for migrants) are receiving threats,” Ghrairi added.

Assist was being distributed at evening to keep away from exposing both migrants or volunteers to hazard, he stated.

“There is a racist marketing campaign underway towards black pores and skin.”

– ‘Run for my life’ –

Natasha and others from Guinea, Cameroon, Chad and Sudan have been already residing precarious lives with the little cash they earned from casual work.

Simply hours after Saied’s February 23 speech, hundreds of undocumented migrants have been made homeless.

Moumin Sow, 29, had been working informally for 2 years as a bartender within the seaside industrial metropolis of Sfax.

“A mob of Tunisians got here into our home and took the whole lot,” he stated.

“Take a look at me: all I’ve is the garments that I am carrying and my telephone. I needed to run for my life.”

Sow stated he needed to go dwelling to Mali.

“I am unable to keep right here with the whole lot I’ve seen,” he stated.

Ghrairi urged authorities to “respect human dignity” and chorus from forcibly repatriating migrants who’re unable or unwilling to depart.

“Simply as we demand respect for the rights of Tunisians who go to Europe clandestinely, we demand respect for sub-Saharan Africans in Tunisia,” he stated.

IOM officers have been scrambling to rely migrants and set particular person appointments to debate their circumstances.

One official, who requested to not be named, instructed AFP over the telephone that the organisation was “overwhelmed”.

“We won’t discover lodging for all of them,” the official stated, including that among the migrants needed to go dwelling through the company’s voluntary return programmes.

Round 100 Ivorians and Malians have been briefly housed by their embassies and are anticipated to be repatriated within the coming days.

A Malian diplomat stated a flight for Bamako was anticipated to depart on Saturday.

However Natasha stated she needed to go to Europe, and dominated out going again to Sierra Leone, the place she has no kin who will help her.

“I am not going again to my nation, I’ve no household,” she stated.

“The cash I got here with, I borrowed it, so I haven’t got something any extra to pay.”

***AFP***