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"The Tunisian state has demonstrated its ability to manage complex files, particularly that of irregular migration," said Houssem Eddine Jebabli, the official spokesperson for the General Directorate of the National Guard, on Friday.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the organization of a repatriation flight for 243 irregular migrants of Ivorian nationality, departing from Tunis-Carthage airport, Jebabli stated that the majority of migrants entered the Tunisian territory through land borders, while networks of smugglers transported them, whether by car, truck, or on foot.
He specified that the voluntary return operations began at the beginning of July last year, two weeks after the establishment of a camp in the El Amra delegation, Sfax governorate, initiated by the Ministry of the Interior and supervised by the President of the Republic, Kaïs Saïed.
This program, he added, is part of a humanitarian approach in favor of irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, recalling that it has allowed the return of over 4,000 of them to their countries of origin.
The official spokesperson also stated that the General Directorate of the National Guard was tasked with coordinating the arrangement of camps and providing logistical assistance, in collaboration with regional authorities and several partner organizations, including the Tunisian Red Crescent.
On the other hand, the General Directorate of Borders and Foreigners ensures coordination with the embassies of the concerned countries to facilitate the return of migrants.
Finally, he added that the Ministry of the Interior, in cooperation with the Tunisian Red Crescent, ensures communication with irregular migrants wishing to return voluntarily. These individuals are then transported by bus from urban areas to a central gathering camp, before their gradual repatriation by organized flights.
Read more: Migration Irregularité in Tunisia: Over 22,000 Voluntary Returns Registered since 2022
