Monday, 05 August 2019
Tunisia: Urgent situation of 36 Ivorian people deported to the Libyan border

The situation of the 36 Ivorian people, who were arrested on 3rd of August 2019 in the Tunisian city of Sfax, brought to Médenine in the south of the country and then to the desert behind the Libyan border, is urgent. According to information published by the FTDES (Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights), people have already been forcibly abandoned on Libyan soil, prevented from returning to Tunisian territory and fearing the dangers in Libya:

 

"The Tunisian army, in front of us, threatens to shoot us down if we venture towards the border. So we don't know what to do anymore. We are in danger, we are on Libyan territory. Suppose Libyans cross us here, we don't know what happens next," says one of them.

 

It is risky for people, especially for the 3 babies and one pregnant woman, to stay exposed to the big heat. In addition, they may be cut off from communication as soon as their phone batteries are discharged.

 

Return of the deported people to Tunisia!

 Several Tunisian human rights organizations, including FTDES, the Tunisian Association for the Defense of Human Rights, "Tunisie terre d'Asile", "Lawyers without borders" and the "Committee for the Respect of Freedom and Human Rights " have signed an appeal to the Tunisian authorities to request the prompt return of the migrants to Tunisian soil so that they can be taken care of by humanitarian organizations.

Alarme Phone Sahara (APS) supports this request and denounces a situation where human rights violations against migrants have become the order of the day on African soil.

 

Here are some videos of testimonies from the expelled people:

https://www.facebook.com/ftdes/videos/809496766111780/

https://www.facebook.com/ftdes/videos/358982098130811/

 

And here is an article on the current situation on Franceinfo:

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/europe/migrants/tunisie-le-sos-de-migrants-ivoiriens-expulses-vers-le-desert-libyen_3565559.html