12 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Tunisia has expressed this Tuesday “deeply outraged” by the violent protests that have taken place at its headquarters in the country, while advocating for dialogue and for the cessation of the escalation of tensions.
“UNHCR is deeply concerned by the violent incidents that took place on Monday and Tuesday morning in Tunis, when some refugees, asylum seekers and migrants forced their way into its premises, causing some property damage and leading to tense interactions. with local police forces,” reads a statement.
The UN body has detailed that “because the protesters blocked the entrances to the offices” the staff “was not present at the scene”, but it has received data on the incident, arrests, damage and victims.
“While UNHCR understands the fears and frustrations of the protesters and respects their right to protest peacefully in accordance with national law, we denounce recent incidents at our facilities by a small group of protesters and urge everyone to join us in the search for peaceful solutions”, declared the representative of the agency in the country, Mónica Noro.
In this regard, he has called for an “immediate end to all forms of violence” and has urged “to reduce tensions so that everyone’s situation does not worsen further” and has called for “the respect the humanitarian nature” of the staff’s work.
UNHCR has explained that approximately 200 migrants began a sit-in in front of the offices three weeks ago, requesting an exit from the country and a humanitarian evacuation. However, the situation became tense at the end of March, when some people blocked the entrance and prevented other asylum seekers from accessing services.
Thus, UNHCR staff have held regular conversations with the protesters and have provided information on the options available to refugees and asylum seekers in the country.
The Tunisian Ministry of the Interior reported on Tuesday that a group of sub-Saharan migrants had been detained in the Tunisian capital, during clashes with the Police to prevent their eviction from a makeshift camp in front of the UNHCR headquarters, where they were asking to be transferred to a country third for suffering insecurity in Tunisia.
In the context of the clashes, the ministry has specified that the migrants used stones, bottles and other blunt objects, such as iron bars. The Prosecutor’s Office has opened a judicial investigation against the detainees, who have been accused of violence and vandalism.
This incident took place weeks after the Tunisian president, Kais Saied, advocated the need to “put an end” to the illegal migration of sub-Saharan Africans, stating that they “continue with violence, crimes and unacceptable practices.”
After numerous complaints from the international community, including UNHCR and the African Union, Saied announced measures in favor of students and sub-Saharan migrants, thus rejecting the accusations of “racism” leveled against him.
