By Michael Oche, Abuja
African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has called for an end to recent racist and Xenohobic attacks against migrants from sub-Saharan Africa in Tunisia.
The Regional body while condemning the attacks, called for the investigation prosecution and sanction of extremist groups that hunted and hurt migrants under the guise of preserving the Tunisia national identity.
A letter addressed to the Tunisian Prime Minister and signed by ITUC-Africa General Secretary, Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, also called on the Tunisian government to ensure compensation for victims of the attacks in a just and timely manner.
“The arbitrary arrests of sub-Saharan Africa migrants also violate international human rights tenets. The International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (LOM) and the United Nations Development Programme and the other members of the United Nations Network on migration have all emphasized the importance of upholding the human rights of migrants and providing them with the necessary protection irrespective of their migration status,” the regional body noted.
In the letter, the ITUC-Africa expressed disappointment that the recent utterances of the President of the Republic, Mr Kais Saied, have further given fuel and ammunition to those who harass and attack African migrants.
The letter urged “the Tunisian government to take measures to investigate, prosecute and sanction extremist elements and groups that hunted and hurt migrants under the guise of preserving the Tunisia national identity as espoused by President Saied.”
Our Correspondent reports that the Nigerian embassy in Tunisia, is working with the IOM to evacuate Nigerians who are willing to leave the country.
Abike Dabiri, the Chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission in a tweet on Monday noted that though, Nigeria does not really have a large community of Nigerians in Tunisia as many of them are those rescued from the Mediterranean after a failed attempt to cross from Libya.
She wrote: ” Our Ambassador to Tunisia is in consultation with the Nigerian Community, on a decision on evacuation.Those that have agreed to return to Nigeria are very few and the mission is working with the IOM to arrange tickets for them. The many others want to wait it out, praying it will soon pass, following the intervention of the AU and the African Group of Ambassadors.”
