On Thursday, March 9 at 19:30 GMT:
Activists in Tunisia are raising alarm over a rise in racist violence and hate speech towards sub-Saharan African migrants and refugees who reside within the nation. The more and more inflammatory rhetoric has additionally been accompanied by crackdowns on migrants marked by arrests, detentions and evictions.
The outrage follows current statements by Tunisian President Kais Saied espousing what protesters are saying is xenophobic and anti-Black racist rhetoric. President Saied claimed that the presence of migrants is a part of a plot to alter the nation’s demographic composition. Following backlash, he made a statement denouncing racism and saying adjustments to visa guidelines for African residents.
Whereas activists stay skeptical of his bulletins, the rhetoric, critics say, is just like the “nice alternative principle”; a preferred conspiracy principle amongst nationalists used to stoke populist and xenophobic help.
This comes at a time when the nation’s financial, political and social stability continues to decline main analysts to view the flip towards migrants and refugees as a brazen effort to scapegoat the nation’s downturn.
Anti-Black racism and anti-immigrant sentiment has lengthy been a simmering problem within the nation, and in solidarity many Tunisians are taking to the streets and social media to protest in help of migrants and share their very own experiences with anti-Black racism in Tunisia.
In response, nations and worldwide our bodies alike have condemned the violence and speech. The World Bank is pausing future work with the nation, the African Union has issued a press release denouncing the remedy of migrants, and a number of other sub-Saharan nations have begun repatriation of citizens who want to go away Tunisia.
On this episode of The Stream, we’ll have a look at what’s driving racism and violence towards Black individuals in Tunisia.
On this episode of The Stream, we converse with:
Elizia Volkmann @EliziaVolkmann
Journalist
Khawla Ksiksi
Activist and Co-founder, Voices of Black Tunisian Girls
Amna Guellali @aguellaa
Deputy regional director for MENA, Amnesty Worldwide
