15 minutes
However, the streets reveal a quite different reality. Many testimonies attested that black people have been strikingly absent from daily life. Hundreds of sub-Saharan Africans in Tunisia have been hiding in their homes for days, terrified of being attacked or raped in the wake of the recent surge of racist hate.
Although official figures indicate that the number of sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia does not exceed the 21.000 mark, a wave of violent hatred has been unleashed in the country. In a statement issued on February 21, Kais Saied claimed that "hordes of illegal migrants" were flocking to Tunisia with the aim of "changing the country's demographic composition" and destroying its Arab-Muslim identity. According to him, urgent measures should be put in place to combat this "criminal enterprise". A speech reminiscent of that of the Tunisian Nationalist Party.
Founded in 2018, the Nationalist Party has been advocating for the restriction of irregular migration and disseminating conspiracy theories that it associates with the Zionist ideology and the colonization of Palestine. However, the presidential statement, as well as the waves of persecution that ensued, were quickly condemned by civil society organizations. The African Union also strongly denounced this "racialized hate speech that could harm people".
Since Kais Saied's statements, racist, verbal, as well as physical violence has erupted in Tunisia. "It was [already] like that, but we used to feel somewhat safe because the State was there, the police were there. Now, it's the State that abandons you, just like that. We're at the mercy of everyone." Marc told inkyfada.
Evictions, sackings, and arbitrary arrests have become the norm in the country. Hundreds of people have even been camping out in front of the International Organization for Migration.
By analyzing the Nationalist Party's report and several Facebook posts, inkyfada examined the six main racist arguments used to justify these waves of violence.
“I’m not racist, but…”
The day after the statement, Kais Saied made another speech to assure that legal migrants wouldn't be inconvenienced . "The legal migrants are welcome, we want more of them to come, we have no problem with that. The illegal ones, they must go back to their countries, but in the framework of the respect of legislations as well as their dignity", insisted Nabil Ammar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who denounced multiple manipulations aiming at putting "Tunisia in the dock".
Following these statements, however, a wave of hatred based on skin color has gained momentum in Tunisia. A few days after the statement was issued, young people in Soukra attacked and burned a building where students were living, according to AESAT. The police were called but to no avail. "The police came but as soon as they left, the teens came back to attack the building where our students were staying and set it on fire," explained the association. Two days later, in Sfax, several houses were ransacked, many people were attacked, and even stabbed by youth gangs, as reported by the Anti-Fascist Front. 4 Ivorian students with scholarships were attacked the same day, as they left their university dormitory. One association claimed to have been receiving hundreds of calls for help per day.
Even black Tunisians aren't safe from these arbitrary acts of violence, as they have also been attacked or arrested during police raids. On Saturday, February 25, three black Tunisian women were physically and verbally attacked. On Sunday, February 26 in Sfax, a black Tunisian man was arrested during a police raid. Such incidents are not unusual, according to lawyer Hamadi Henchiri. "There have been house searches without warrants, as well as random arrests based solely on skin color. Many Tunisians or legal migrants have been arrested based purely on their color," he said.
"You get insulted on the street all the time, and when you answer in Tunisian, they say: 'Oh, you're Tunisian, we don't have any black Tunisians, so I mistook you for a Sub-Saharan.' In this case, the citizens are the problem, they're not going to ask for my papers, they're just going to attack me", said Chiheb, a young black Tunisian.
Meanwhile, several racist posts perpetuating anti-black stereotypes have been trending on social networks, as well as a petition to repeal the law on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination, which has been in place since 2018.
Illegality as an excuse
A number of civil society organizations have accused the President and the Tunisian Nationalist Party of racism, but the latter denied these allegations, claiming that their top priority is putting an end to irregular immigration and informal work among undocumented sub-Saharan nationals.
In the public debate, migrants who are considered "illegal" are often stigmatized and portrayed as criminals, evading justice. Some people have even been spreading misleading and deceptive videos on social networks, especially in groups and pages supporting the Nationalist Party or the President of the Republic. In his statement, Kais Saied accused these "hordes of illegal migrants of perpetrating violent, criminal and lawless acts."
However, several specialists believe that it is primarily the State policy that is driving "illegal" sub-Saharan migrants into illegality. As a matter of fact, getting a residence permit in Tunisia is a very challenging process since the deadlines are often short and the administration doesn't make it any easier for sub-Saharans to regularize their status. "Given the waiting period for residence permits, many of them have seen their three-month provisional permits expire without ever getting an appointment", explained Jean Bedel Gnabli, President of the Association of Active Ivorians in Tunisia.
"This is not about people who put themselves in an irregular situation, it's about a State that didn't regulate their presence in it. Even Sub-Saharan Africans who have all the necessary documentation never receive a permanent residence permit”, argued Camille Cassarini, researcher on African migration in Tunisia at the University of Genoa. He believes that this policy is not new and dates back several decades.
Migrants must also pay 20 dinars per week upon the expiry of their visa or residence permit. Such penalties are now preventing some sub-Saharan nationals from returning to their country of origin, according to an Ivorian diplomat.
As a result, one of the main TNP demands was the expulsion of all irregular migrants from the country, as well as the imposition of mandatory visas on all sub-Saharan countries. But this is already the case for the most part: only 17 out of 48 sub-Saharan African countries have a 90-day visa exemption to enter Tunisia.
It is worth noting that undocumented migrants residing in Tunisia have been accused of promoting the informal sector. As a matter of fact, foreigners' access to the Tunisian labor market is extremely difficult, which forces them to stick to the informal sector. Sociologist Mustapha Nasraoui explained that "Tunisia does not have any professional sectors that have been abandoned to foreigners; consequently, immigrants find themselves working alongside local workers, except that the latter aren't worried about being reported by their employers.” In this way, "sub-Saharan workers are concentrated in the most exploited area [...] They fill the gap in this sector," he explained. The data supports these statements: the informal sector represents 44.8% of jobs in Tunisia.
A mass influx of migrants
One million, 700.000, and many different estimates of the number of sub-Saharans in Tunisia have been circulating on social networks, with vague sources.
The National Institute of Statistics (INS) figures, however, indicate that foreigners in Tunisia represent 0.5% of the Tunisian population. They mainly come from the Maghreb, followed by other African and European countries. The latest estimates suggest that there are only 21.000 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa in Tunisia. This number has particularly increased since 2011. According to the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), these figures are much higher, with a total of roughly 59.000 migrants in 2020, with or without residence permits. In contrast, Tunisia counts more than 500.000 emigrants, three-quarters of whom are European.
Several social media publications have suggested that there is an alleged desire to "colonize" Tunisia.
Sub-Saharan migrants "came to Tunisia to work and settle," explained Camille Cassarini, "so it's becoming increasingly similar to immigration, with people staying for several years, starting families and holding jobs and social positions in Tunisia."
Although their number has been growing over the past few years, sub-Saharan migrants have expressed their wish to leave the country rather than settle there. "We must remember that for most sub-Saharans, Tunisia is a country of transit and not a land of welcome. Their target destination is Europe. They did not choose to be in Tunisia," said Majdi Karbai, former MP representing Tunisians abroad.
A conspiracy to colonize Tunisia
The Tunisian Nationalist Party and President Kais Saied maintained that the influx of migrants into Tunisia has been an attempt at colonization aimed at invading the country and changing its demographic composition. The Party thus called for the dissolution of all sub-Saharan organizations or those involved in this so-called "colonization", including human rights organizations.
Despite the fact that 40% of migrants have no intention of settling in Tunisia, according to a survey conducted by the INS.
In fact, migrants who mainly come for professional or academic reasons are less likely to plan to settle than those who migrate with their families. Employment and education are the main reasons for immigration among Sub-Saharan migrants, respectively accounting for 50% and 32% of the reasons expressed. About two-thirds of Sub-Saharan Africans in Tunisia plan to return to their country of origin at some point in the future,
In fact, migrants who mainly come for professional or academic reasons are less likely to plan to settle than those who migrate with their families. Employment and education are the main reasons for immigration among Sub-Saharan migrants, respectively accounting for 50% and 32% of the reasons expressed. About two-thirds of Sub-Saharan Africans in Tunisia are likely to return to their country of origin in the indefinite future,
Most Sub-Saharan Africans residing in Tunisia are employed in the service and construction sectors. They are also the least likely to stay in Tunisia among migrants of different nationalities.
A threat to the Arab-Muslim identity
Kais Saied expressed his concern about the possible loss of Tunisia's Arab-Muslim identity to an "African only" country, a concern which echoes the controversial theory of the Great Replacement developed by Renaud Camus* and often used by the European far right.
Yet, many of those who come to Tunisia are themselves from Arab and/or Muslim countries. One third of these migrants come from Côte d'Ivoire, while the rest are mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, and Mali.
European funding behind the conspiracy
The Nationalist Party claimed that this "colonization" project in Tunisia is financed by European powers. By helping sub-Saharans settle in Tunisia, these powerful parties would discourage them from crossing the Mediterranean by offering them an alternative in Tunisia. A project that would be similar to the Zionist colonization of Palestine, according to the TNP report.
Europe is effectively financing the externalization of its borders in Tunisia, in order to prevent irregular immigration attempts. According to the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, Tunisia has intercepted 29.000 irregular immigration operations in 2022. Europe is providing many resources for coast guard training, including 20 million in trainings and equipment.
Nevertheless, there is no clear connection between this European border externalization and an alleged plan to colonize Tunisia with sub-Saharan migrants. "It's about protecting the Italian borders and recovering the expelled migrants. People want to go to Italy, what are we doing to bring them back to Tunisia when we have no plans, no money, no vision, or anything to welcome them?" said Majdi Kerbai.
Tunisia is acting as a "border police" in order to satisfy Kais Saied's interests, according to Mehdi Elleuch, a researcher at Legal Agenda. "By being cooperative on the migration issue, Kais Saied is buying the silence of European countries on the repressive measures he's been taking in his country, against human rights, political opposition, and freedom of expression", he concluded in a media statement.
This campaign against black migrants in Tunisia is also a mere diversion, according to the researcher. "The President's popularity is at an all-time low. With that, there is a repressive reaction of designating an imagined internal enemy without the slightest connection with reality," he explained.
Coming from the highest authority in the country as well as from the Nationalist Party, the unfounded allegations and the wave of racism on social networks and in some media have had serious consequences on the daily life of black people in Tunisia.
Universities and local associations are asking sub-Saharan nationals to stay in their homes. Hundreds of people are left homeless, jobless, and are spending their nights in front of the International Organization for Migration in hopes of either repatriation or a response from the responsible agencies, who have so far been remarkably silent.
