06/03/2023
Statement
Tunisia expresses its surprise at this campaign, the source of which is well known, speaking of alleged racism in the country, and firmly rejects this accusation against the Tunisian state. Tunisia is one of the founders of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), later transformed into the African Union (AU) , and has supported all national liberation movements in the world, especially those in Africa.
It is an honor for Tunisia to be an African state. Africans are our brothers. During recent years, Tunisia has not stopped calling for “Africa to be for Africans” and has attacked by all means the human trafficking crime from which the African brothers have suffered so far. The Tunisian state has not and will not accept that Africans are victims of this shameful phenomenon whether in Tunisia or abroad.
Tunisia will remain a state that will struggle for the oppressed and prevail for the victims of any kind of racial discrimination and does not accept that there be a victim of any form of discrimination that targets human beings, either in Tunisia or anywhere in the world.
Tunisia was among the first countries of the region to adopt, in 2018, a law aimed at eliminating all forms and manifestations of racial discrimination. It is on this basis that any physical or moral aggression against any foreigner, regardless of their legal status, is prosecuted.
Tunisia history, its laws and the practices of its people, who never left off helping those who sought refuge with them, attest that our effort to protect all migrants is only balanced by our determination to respect the laws of the country to obviate clutter spread and avoid any harm to our citizens or our African brothers.
In recognition of Tunisia’s African ties, and in order to facilitate the procedures for foreigners residents and to protect various communities, the following has been decided :
• Deliver one-year residence permits to students from sisterly African Countries in order to facilitate their stay and enable them to renew their documents within reasonable time limits.
• Extend the residence receipt from three months to six months.
• Facilitate voluntary departures for those who wish to do so within an organized framework and after prior coordination with embassies and diplomatic representations of African countries in Tunisia.
• Exempt the African brothers from the payment of late fees for expatriates who have overstayed their permits in the context of voluntary return.
• Enhance awareness and provide the necessary social, health and psychological assistance to all immigrants and refugees from brotherly African countries through the Red-Crescent Organization and its various partners
• step up vigilance campaigns aimed at deterring all forms of trafficking in human beings and limiting the phenomenon of exploitation of irregular migrants.
• set up a hotline accessible to residents of various African countries to report any violation or any form of abuse against them.
Tunisia extends its deep thanks to all the brotherly friendly African countries that have stepped up their efforts to protect its community residing in them, and urged upholding the spirit of cooperation, synergy and brotherhood among African countries, in accordance with the traditions established by Tunisia throughout history.
