“We protect Sfax“: it is slogan repeated in front of the Prefecture of the city by the hundreds of protesters who responded to the appeal launched by local movement headed by Zied Malloulifor which migrants irregular present in the area represent “one threat against the safety of the inhabitants of Sfax”. The city, located about 270km south of Tunis, is the second largest urban center in the country, economic pole e commercial nerve center also thanks to the thriving port. And it is precisely the port of Sfax that represents one of the main ones hub Mediterranean migrantsjunction between sub-Saharan Africa and Europe.
Together with Libya, Tunisia forms the last land stage on African soil of the migratory route undertaken by the citizens of countries such as Sudan, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, towards Europe. Last February 21stor, during a session of the National Security Council dedicated to the migration issue in Tunisia, the president Kai Saïd had underlined the need to put an end to the phenomenon, stating that migrations were part of a “criminal agreement for change the demographic composition of the country“, then accusing the migrants of being responsible for”violence, crimes e unacceptable practices”. Saïed’s speech provoked the reaction of numerous international organizations and civil society, which pointed to his claims of racismbut meanwhile in Tunisia the episodes of attackseven physical, against sub-Saharan migrants there are multiply.