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Rabat – Tunisian activists are taking to the streets of the capital to protest President Kais Saied’s anti-migration rhetoric that was widely considered racist.
In a National Security Council meeting on Tuesday, Saied declared that undocumented immigrants flock to Tunisia with the aim of changing Tunisia’s demographic composition, a statement that was heavily criticized by human rights activists. The comments were made following the arrest of a group of undocumented migrants.
Hundreds of people have protested on the streets of the Tunisian capital to denounce President Kais Saied, accusing him of racist comments and hate speech against refugees and migrants.
Demonstrations broke out on Saturday denouncing the racist rhetoric and demanding the president apologize. Among the claims, Saied stated that sub-Saharan Africans are plotting to erase the Tunisian identity.
The president further alleged that sub-Saharan migrants are causing a spike in crime and violence, explaining that “urgent measures” should be taken to stop them from entering the North African country.
“The undeclared goal of the successive waves of illegal immigration is to consider Tunisia a purely African country that has no affiliation to the Arab and Islamic nations,” Saied was quoted as saying in converging news reports.
Tunisian activists condemned the comments and considered them a form of hate speech targeting migrants.
“It is a racist approach just like the campaigns in Europe,” Tunisian activist, Romdhane Ben Amor, was quoted as saying by Reuters.
“The presidential campaign aims to create an imaginary enemy for Tunisians to distract them from their basic problems.”
Much like other northern African countries, Tunisia is a transition destination for sub-Saharan migrants who ultimately aim to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. Political instability in the Sahel region, civil wars, organized crimes, and terrorism are among the reasons driving sub-Saharan Africans out of their home countries.
The president’s controversial speech comes as his approval rates are plummeting, and several groups are accusing him of staging a soft coup that would erode the gains Tunisia made in the Arabic spring.
The ongoing economic crisis is further weakening the president’s dwindling popularity. Last week was marked by nationwide protests from trade unionists campaigning against the deteriorating economy while directly holding the president accountable.
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