In Tunisian slang, ‘rais’ means the captain of a ship and, by extension, refers to those who conduct clandestine crossings. In a game of words, it also refers to the country’s president, Kais Saied
Jebeniana, Sfax
Mohamed (third person from the left in the second row), a 25-year-old young man from Guinea Conakry, calls out: “Tell your president to let us through. We don’t want to stay in Tunisia. We’re not here to take your jobs, or your wives, or cause trouble. They treat us like dogs, not like human beings”.
Like Mohamed, there are over a hundred Sub-Saharan migrants (originating from Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, or Sudan) living in the unofficial camp of Jebeniana, 30 kilometers from Sfax, the epicenter of departures from Tunisia to Italy in 2023.
2023 was a record year with 79,905 intercepted departures —70% of which were Sub-Saharan people— by the National Guard. President Kais Saied’s speech last February, condemning illegal immigration, led to unprecedented tensions and violence against Sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia. Since then, many remain stuck in departure areas, mostly around Sfax, at the forefront of the news, as its olive fields have become the refuge for thousands of Sub-Saharan africans. Other have been sent by Tunisian authorities to desolate areas in Libya and Algeria, without water, food, or shelter.
They are now among the missing of Tunisia.