Tunisia clears makeshift migrant camps

Tunisian authorities have dismantled large camps sheltering thousands of sub-Saharan African migrants, following rising local tensions and a wave of social media outrage, AFP reports. According to police, around 20,000 people had been living in makeshift shelters near the towns of El Amra and Jebeniana in eastern Tunisia. National Guard spokesman Houcem EddineJebabli said roughly 4,000 migrants left during Friday’s operation, with more evictions expected in the coming days.

The camps, set up in olive groves, had drawn complaints from residents, prompting legal action and calls for intervention. Jebabli said vulnerable individuals, including pregnant women and the sick, were referred to health services, while others fled into surrounding countryside.

President Kais Saied recently urged the International Organization for Migration to speed up voluntary repatriations. Tunisia has become a key transit hub for migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, with rising numbers drawing international concern and straining local resources.