By Biran Gaye
The Tunisian National Guards are reported to have set fire to makeshift tents housing refugees and migrants in the olive groves of the port city of Sfax, Tunisia’s second largest city.
According to a flash report by the humanitarian organisation Refugees In Libya, approximately seven police vehicles carrying armed personnel arrived at the informal settlement and attacked the migrants and refugees. The humanitarian body accused Tunisian security forces of “harassing them, destroying their tents, setting fire to their belongings, and chasing them away.”
Witness Josephus O. Thomas captured the assault on video, documenting the destruction as it unfolded. Thomas condemned the attack as representative of “the kind of partnership and cooperation” established between the European Union and Tunisia, accusing both parties of oppressing migrants and refugees, particularly Black Africans.
There has been growing criticism of EU migration policies that rely on North African partners to prevent migrants from reaching European shores.
David Yambio, who is a migration activist, condemned the incident, describing it as “representing Europe’s best approach to curbing the so-called ‘migration crisis’.”
“It is a shame for Africa to accept all types of policies or agreements with Western countries,” Thomas said in footage showing the camp’s destruction.
Footage shared with the organisation shows piles of burning rubble and scattered inhabitants fleeing amid heavy rainfall. One video depicts a tent that had sheltered a mother, her daughter, and her husband — a family forced to live in the olive groves since early 2023—completely destroyed by fire.
The Tunisian government has reported that over 20,000 migrants established tent settlements in the olive fields since 2023. Migrants from sub-Saharan African countries have been living in informal camps in the olive groves near El Amra, approximately 30 kilometres north of Sfax, Tunisia’s second-largest city.
The incident comes amid a controversial migration agreement between Tunisia and the EU (European Union). Under the pact, Tunisia agreed to intensify its efforts to prevent migrant departures, combat smuggling operations, and conduct search and rescue operations.
In return, the EU will facilitate significant budget support and legal migration pathways for skilled Tunisian workers.
The attack marks another chapter in the ongoing humanitarian crisis facing African migrants attempting to transit through Tunisia to Europe.
The attack has renewed fears and suffering among thousands of stranded asylum seekers living in desperate conditions.
The incident raises serious questions about human rights protections and the treatment of vulnerable populations caught between continents.
