UN Calls on Tunisia’s Kais Saied to end hate speech & violence against African migrants
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has called on Tunisian regime to publicly condemn racist hate speech against sub-Saharan migrants, immediately halt their arrests and collective detentions, and release those who are arbitrarily detained, especially women and children.
In a statement issued this Tuesday under its early warning and urgent action procedure, the UN body also urged Tunisian authorities to combat all forms of racial discrimination and racist violence against black Africans and black Tunisian citizens.
The Committee said it was alarmed by the remarks made by Tunisia’s President Kais Saied late February, alleging that “hordes of illegal migrants” arriving from African countries south of the Sahara were part of “a criminal plan to change the composition of the demographic landscape of Tunisia” and were the source “of violence, unacceptable crimes and practices.”
These remarks are “in contravention of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,” said the UN body that monitors the implementation of this Convention by State parties.
Faced with violence following the remarks made by Tunisia’s President, hundreds of migrants from countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Guinea and Senegal decided to return to their home countries.
Many other migrants and refugees from the south of the Sahara were forcibly evicted from their houses or have lost employment. They have thus sought protection and assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
The number of arbitrary detentions of sub-Saharan migrants has also significantly increased throughout the country since the beginning of February.
The UN Committee said it is deeply concerned about reports of an increase of racial or xenophobic hate speech in Tunisia against sub-Saharan migrants on social networks and some other media, including racist hate speech by private personalities and political party members, especially after the remarks made by Pdt Kais Saied.
It also voiced deep concern over this wave of hate speech and stigmatization that has led to acts of violence against these migrants, including physical attacks and evictions from their homes and jobs.
The Committee said it was outraged by reports of numerous arbitrary arrests of these migrants, including women, children, and students, carried out by law enforcement officials in the campaign entitled “Strengthening the security fabric and reducing the phenomenon of illegal stay in Tunisia,” without all the procedural guarantees.
It urged the Tunisian authorities to refrain from making remarks contributing to racial hatred and racial discrimination against sub-Saharan migrants and condemn anyone who did so.
The Committee urged the Tunisian regime to allow sub-Saharan migrants who choose to apply for asylum to do so and investigate cases of migrants arbitrarily removed from their jobs or homes and take necessary measures to prevent and combat all forms of racial discrimination.
