Ivory Coast and Guinea to repatriate nationals from Tunisia

BBC reported that two West African states are repatriating their citizens from Tunisia following inflammatory remarks by President Kais Saied last week.

President Saied said that migration was a “plot” to change the country’s demographic profile, blaming “traitors who are working for foreign countries”. Dozens of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have since been detained.

Ivory Coast and Guinea said they were sending specially charted planes to bring back their nationals.

Tunisia had an estimated 21,000 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa in 2021, according to official figures quoted by a local rights activist who accused Saied of “inciting hatred” and “racial discrimination against African migrants”.  Saied has denied being racist.

After his comments, many migrants lost their jobs and housing overnight. Some have reported being physically assaulted.