NGOs denounce President Kais Saied’s “racist and hateful” speech against migrants

The shock after very violent remarks. NGOs denounced on Wednesday February 22 a speech “racist and hateful” Tunisian President Kais Saied, the day after his charge against sub-Saharan African migrants, whom he presented as a demographic threat to his country.

Kais Saied on Tuesday advocated “urgent measures” against the illegal immigration of sub-Saharan Africans to his country, claiming that their presence was a source of “violence, crimes and unacceptable acts”. During a meeting, he made very harsh remarks about the arrival of “hordes of illegal immigrants” and insisted on “the need to quickly end” to this immigration.

The Head of State also argued 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 a country “african only” and fade his character “Arab-Muslim”.

“A great disappointment and great consternation”

“This speech causes great disappointment and great consternation”reacted to AFP Romdhane Ben Amor, spokesperson for the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES). “This racist and hateful speech marks a sad day. The fact that the president of a country that has signed international conventions on immigration makes such a speech is extremely serious”he pointed out.

Mnemty, an association that fights against discrimination, also condemned the press release from the Tunisian presidency, calling it “speech of racism and hatred and incitement to violence against sub-Saharan migrants”.

Kais Saied was speaking at a meeting of the National Security Council “devoted to the urgent measures that must be taken to deal with the arrival in Tunisia of a large number of illegal migrants from sub-Saharan Africa”, according to a press release from the presidency. Authorities announced that at least 138 illegal migrants had been arrested or intercepted at sea overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.