In El Amra, Tunisia, migrants who dream of reaching Europe find themselves stuck in an increasingly dire situation. Less than 100 miles from the Italian islands, these migrants live under black tarps, seeking refuge from the sun and waiting for a chance to board boats that smugglers use to transport them to Europe. Fleeing war, poverty, climate change, and persecution, they are now trapped in Tunisia, unable to move forward to Europe or return home due to lack of funds.
The U.N.’s International Organization for Migration (IOM)estimates that 15,000 to 20,000 migrants are stranded in rural olive groves near Tunisia’s coastline. Their presence is a direct result of anti-migration policies in both Tunisia and Europe, driven by recent gains of right-wing politicians in the European Union’s parliamentary elections. These encampments have expanded as police in Tunisia push migrants out of cities and intensify efforts to prevent Mediterranean crossings.
Among the migrants is Mory Keita, a 16-year-old from Ivory Coast who left home to escape flooding and hoped to reach France. Keita, now at an encampment known as Kilometer-19, faces constant danger. The camp is notorious for violent clashes, and police intervention often involves forcibly dismantling the encampments rather than ensuring safety. Despite paying a smuggler to travel through Mali and Algeria, Keita was intercepted by Tunisia’s coast guard and returned to the shore without any processing.
Tunisia, supported by European funds, has intensified its efforts to stop migrants. From January to May, the coast guard prevented nearly 53,000 migrants from crossing to Europe, significantly reducing the number of successful crossings. This aligns with a €1 billion accord between the EU and Tunisia, aimed at curbing migration through financial aid and program support. However, NGOs criticize the lack of transparency in these programs.
While these measures may reduce the number of migrants reaching Europe, they have created a logjam on the Tunisian coastline, leading to increased tension and violence. Local civil society groups demand the government expel migrants, and politicians call for “citizen militias” to police the areas. This hostility is fueled by anti-migrant rhetoric, including from President Kais Saied, who has framed migrants as a threat to Tunisian identity.
The visibility of Black migrants in Tunisian communities has led to xenophobic backlash, with local farmers and residents urging the government to remove encampments from their land. The heavy police and national guard presence has not alleviated the situation, as law enforcement raids often result in burned encampments and missing persons.
Despite these challenges, European leaders, including Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, view the EU-Tunisia migration accord as a successful model. The EU continues to support Tunisia with development assistance and policies aimed at limiting migration, even as the human rights situation for migrants and the local population deteriorates.
Majdi Karbai, a former Tunisian parliament member, argues that the EU’s partnership with Tunisia undermines democracy and sacrifices human rights for both African migrants and Tunisians. Migrants will likely continue to transit through Tunisia, with President Saied using their plight to bolster his political rhetoric and secure more European assistance.