France targets Tunisian migration following revolution

More than 74 Tunisians have been detained since the 14th of February

Last week, officers from the gendarmerie and police nationale were stationed at tollbooths on the A8 motorway close to La Turbie, as well as at train stations in Menton, Nice, Cannes and Antibes as part of an attempt to stop clandestine immigration into France.

More than 74 Tunisians have been detained in the department since last Monday (14th February), with reports that police in Cannes are being instructed to stop anybody of Tunisian origin who appears to be in “an irregular situation.”

It comes as part of a clampdown by the French authorities to stop Tunisians entering the country in the wake of last month’s ‘Jasmine Revolution’, which saw former President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali ousted after 23 years in power.   

It appears that the authorities have been bracing themselves to deal with a large migration of nationals from its former colony. Refugees and migrants have been making their way through Italy towards France, where many have relatives.

Jean-Pierre Mangiapan, president of the France-Tunisia association of the Côte d’Azur, suggests that many young Tunisians have taken the opportunity in the midst of unrest in their home country to emigrate for economic reasons. “We are predominantly looking at a group of 25-30 year old men, who come from a modest background, in a region that is in turmoil that haven’t taken part in the revolution and want to further their opportunities.”

It’s a viewpoint that is shared by Ouardi Mnasri, head of the Tunisian Association in the Alpes-Maritimes. “For certain people who have a real economic need to migrate this is the time to move away and find work elsewhere,” he told Nice Matin. “It’s a little insensitive [for the French] to attack the people that come here to work and will pay taxes and social security,” he continued.

Despite Ben Ali’s departure, political unrest still threatening security in the North African state. “Tunisia isn’t stable at the moment that’s for certain. If there isn’t a civil war then there will still be pockets of resistance,” Mnasri added.  

There is still uncertainty hanging in the air over the assets of Ben Ali and his wife Laetitia Trabelsi. The former presidential couple is thought to have a hand in over seven billion euros worth of property and goods in France. Many Tunisians are worried that the seized assets of Ben Ali’s estate will remain in France rather than being transferred back to Tunisia.