A total of 145 Ivorians, previously residing in Tunisia, were able to return to their country of origin on Saturday March 4, 2023 thanks to a special flight organized by the Ivorian government.
They were welcomed on Saturday by the Prime minister Patrick Achi. According to local media, returnees who have benefited from medical and psychological care will also receive aid for their professional reintegration.
A center has been set up at the National Institute of Youth and Sports of Marcory, in Abidjan where the Ivorians are subject to interviews so that they present their projects.
According to the authorities, four other rotations are planned this week to repatriate from Tunisia their citizens who wish to return home. For now, the consular authorities have identified 1,600 people who have volunteered to return to the country.
This follows Tunisian President Kais Saied’s xenophobic comments about black migrants in the country. According to reports, several migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have been arrested and assaulted following his statements.
Tunisia had around 21,000 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa in 2021, according to official figures cited by a local human rights activist who accused Mr Saied of ‘inciting hatred’ and ‘racial discrimination’ against African migrants”.