The Tunisian president called on Thursday to "
watch
" over migrants from sub-Saharan Africa staying legally in Tunisia, in reaction to the controversy aroused after his previous statements on illegal immigration.
"
People who are in a legal situation in Tunisia should be reassured
," Saied said during a meeting with Interior Minister Taoufik Charfeddine on the security situation in the country.
The president asked state officials to "
watch over our brothers in sub-Saharan Africa in a legal situation
", according to a video published on the official page of the Presidency of the Republic.
But "
there is no question of allowing anyone in an illegal situation to stay in Tunisia
", he insisted.
"
I will not allow the institutions of the state to be undermined or to change the demographic composition
" of Tunisia, Saied added.
On Tuesday, the Tunisian president advocated "
urgent measures against the illegal immigration of nationals from sub-Saharan Africa
" and made very harsh remarks on the arrival of "
hordes of illegal migrants
", insisting on "
the need to quickly put end
" to this immigration.
He further maintained that this illegal immigration was part of a criminal enterprise hatched at the dawn of this century to change the demographic composition of Tunisia“, “so that it is considered
as an
“African only” country
and blur its Arab-Muslim character
”.
A speech deemed “racist” by human rights activists
These remarks were strongly criticized by NGOs and human rights activists.
“
This racist and hate speech marks a sad day.
The fact that the president of a country that has signed international conventions on immigration makes such a statement is extremely serious
,” lamented the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES).
For President Saied, as he said again on Thursday, those who accused him of racism “
want division and discord and seek to undermine our relations with our brothers
”.
According to official figures quoted by the FTDES, Tunisia, which has some 12 million inhabitants, is home to more than 21,000 nationals from sub-Saharan African countries, most of them in an irregular situation.
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