Dozens of Tunisians protest, demanding deportation of irregular migrants

Dozens of Tunisians demonstrated on Saturday in Kasbah Square in front of the government headquarters in the capital of Tunis, demanding the deportation of irregular migrants from Sub-Saharan African countries.

During the protest, activists spread the message: “No to resettlement… No to naturalization… Tunisia is for Tunisians and not for sale,” encouraging people to stage sit-ins in front of the government headquarters.

Talal Al-Khamiri, a civil society activist, called for the “comprehensive and immediate deportation” of all irregular migrants in a speech he delivered during the protest.

Al-Khamiri said that “the forced deportation of those without documents and of migrants who entered Tunisia illegally has become a necessity and urgent matter.”

“Approximately 17,600 children from Sub-Saharan Africa were born in Tunisia without knowing their fathers’ parentage, which necessitates sounding the alarm,” Al-Khamiri claimed, citing an estimate from which he did not provide the source.

Every week, authorities announce the thwarting of irregular migration attempts to European shores and the apprehension of hundreds of Tunisian migrants or migrants from other African countries.

Tunisia is facing increasing European pressure to tighten controls on its coasts and prevent migrant boats from departing, an Anadolu correspondent reported.

In Sept. 2023, the European Commission announced the allocation of €127 million (approximately $146 million) in aid to Tunisia as part of a memorandum of understanding concerning several issues, including curbing irregular migration to Europe.

There are no official overall estimates of the number of irregular migrants in Tunisia.

However, in January 2025, Brigadier General Khaled Jerad, head of the Irregular Migration Committee at the Ministry of the Interior, stated that the number of these migrants in the Al-Amra and Jebiniana areas (east) was estimated at around 20,000, without providing figures for the rest of the areas in the country.