About five hundred African migrants were removed from a square in the center of the city of Sfax by Tunisian security forces on Sunday, Tunisian NGO FTDES (Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights) reported. The Africans had been chased from their homes in early July.
According to a spokesperson for the organization, after the square was cleared, the migrants were taken “in small groups to the countryside and other cities”. Tunisian authorities reported that nearly two hundred migrants were also arrested this weekend as they “prepared for the illegal boat journey” to Europe.
In July, the European Union concluded a migration deal with the Tunisian government. Tunisia would receive more money in exchange for reducing illegal migration to Europe. The deal came in for a lot of criticism.
Died of dehydration
According to humanitarian organizations, 2,000 migrants have already been deported by Tunisia and left behind in neighboring desert areas. Dozens died there, including from dehydration. The European Ombudsman is currently investigating whether human rights were sufficiently taken into account when concluding the deal.
Lampedusa
Sfax is a popular port city for migrants trying to cross to Europe by boat. Many of those boats sail towards the Italian island of Lampedusa, which is about 200 kilometers from Sfax. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented a plan on that island on Sunday to better accommodate the large influx to Lampedusa.
LOOK. This is Lampedusa, the haven for African migrants
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