Tunisian president Kais Saied has said he is standing firm on his positions after a July 4 meeting with security chiefs following clashes between groups of migrants that culminated with the stabbing of a Tunisian man.
"Tunisia is a country that accepts onto its territory only those that abide by the laws. It does not agree to be used as a transit zone or settlement territory for people coming from other African countries, nor does it agree to be the guardian of any borders other than its own," Tunisian president Kais Saied said during a July 4 meeting with Interior Minister Kamel Feki and other security officials in the ministry.
'Necessary to dismantle criminal networks in Tunisia'
The meeting was held in connection with clashes between groups of undocumented African migrants and local residents in Sfax. The clashes had resulted in the stabbing of a Tunisian and were called a "criminal operation" in a statement released by the president's office.
Saied later added in a video also published by the president's office that "there are criminal networks operating on Tunisian territory and it is necessary to dismantle them."
"There is a great deal of proof that this is anomalous. How can these migrants travel for thousands of kilometers and head to a specific city or district? Do they know these cities or districts when they are in their countries? Are they migrants or people displaced by criminal groups that exploit their misery and traffic their members, and in this way target social peace in Tunisia?" the statement issued by the Tunisian president's office asked.
Law 'must be enforced' against those exploiting migrants
In the same context, the Tunisian president urged enforcement of the law against those exploiting these people in Tunisia, underscoring that renting to foreigners requires authorisation from security authorities and that any employment is subject to Tunisian law.Saied then stressed that "there is no place in state institutions for those seeking to dismantle them or to threaten national security."
"There can be no tolerance for those creating problems and acting behind the scenes, since hardly a day goes by without a crisis being created," he continued.
"The lobbies of persistent corruption have no place in state institutions, nor do those that serve them and create favourable conditions for their maintenance and corruption," he concluded.