Tunisia has been under intense scrutiny for its treatment of refugees and migrants, amid widespread reports of human rights abuses. Over the past three years, the Tunisian government’s policies towards refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, particularly Black people, have increasingly eroded protection mechanisms, leading to dangerous and inhumane conditions. These actions come under the shadow of cooperation agreements between Tunisia and the European Union (EU), raising serious concerns about complicity in human rights violations. This analysis examines the detailed findings of Amnesty International and other stakeholders, revealing the gravity of abuses and the broader geopolitical implications.
The Scope of Violations in Tunisia
Amnesty International’s report titled ‘Nobody Hears You When You Scream’: Dangerous Shift in Tunisia’s Migration Policy documents a systematic dismantling of refugee protections by Tunisian authorities. The report shows a dangerous trend of racist policing, arbitrary arrests, arbitrary detention, collective expulsions, and violent interceptions at sea. These violations have dire effects, undermining refugees’ safety, dignity, and lives.
Between 2022 and 2025, hundreds to thousands of refugees and migrants, predominantly from Sub-Saharan Africa, were subjected to physical violence, torture, and sexual abuse. The detentions often occur in overcrowded and unhygienic facilities lacking adequate access to essentials, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. This grim reality is compounded by a sharp rise in actions targeting NGOs providing critical support to these vulnerable populations, with at least six organizations facing repression, including arbitrary arrests of humanitarian workers.
A Cameroonian woman migrant named “Céline” described the hostile treatment by authorities during a sea interception:
“They made us chant ‘Tunisia no more, we will never come back’, again and again.”
Similarly, “Hakim,” another Cameroonian migrant, provided a harrowing account of beatings and humiliations at the Algerian border, underscoring the violent nature of expulsions.
EU’s Role and Risk of Complicity
The European Union’s partnership with Tunisia—centering on migration control—has come under sharp criticism for prioritizing border security over human rights. Despite well-documented abuses, EU cooperation, including financial aid and technical assistance to Tunisian border control, has continued largely unchanged. Tunisia has been designated a “safe” country for migrants by the EU, allowing deportations under this framework.
Human rights groups caution that this lack of effective safeguards implicates the EU in potential complicity. Amnesty International stresses that by continuing to support Tunisia’s migration policies without conditions protecting refugees’ rights, the EU risks becoming an enabler of serious human rights violations. The chilling effect of EU-Tunisia agreements becomes even more pronounced given Tunisia’s closure of the UN Refugee Agency’s role in asylum processing as of June 2024, shutting down formal avenues of international protection within Tunisia.
The Impact on Refugees, Migrants, and Civil Society
The consequences of Tunisia’s harsh approach to refugees and migrants are profound. The collective expulsions to Algeria and Libya expose individuals to additional risk, violating the principle of non-refoulement under international law, which forbids returning people to countries where they face serious harm.
Reports reveal that 41 individuals suffered torture and ill-treatment during various stages, and there were 14 documented incidents of sexual violence by security forces, including rape. “Karine,” a Cameroonian woman, tragically experienced repeated sexual assaults by Tunisian National Guard officers during interception and expulsion processes, exemplifying the worst abuses refugees endure.
The clampdown on NGOs further isolates vulnerable groups, leaving them without critical aid and legal assistance. At least eight humanitarian workers and two local officials were detained arbitrarily since May 2024. The trial of staff from the Tunisian Council for Refugees, a key organization providing support, reflects the broader repression of civil society efforts aimed at protecting migrants and refugees.
The Tunisian Government’s Position
The Tunisian government frames its migration policies as necessary responses to manage irregular migration amid security and socio-economic challenges. It denies systemic abuses and often attributes tensions to broader regional instability. However, international observers and human rights advocates document a deliberate and troubling trend towards racial profiling, criminalization of irregular migration, and xenophobic rhetoric that intensifies violence and discrimination.
Broader Regional and International Context
Tunisia is not alone in facing pressure from European countries to curtail migration flows. Several North African countries have signed agreements with the EU to act as gatekeepers to Europe, trading border control for funding and support. However, critics argue this arrangement externallyizes Europe’s migration challenges, often at the expense of migrants’ fundamental rights and protections.
In Tunisia’s case, the absence of meaningful oversight and accountability mechanisms in these deals has enabled a culture of impunity. Rights groups call for the EU to suspend migration cooperation until robust human rights safeguards are in place.
The evidence from Amnesty International’s investigations and corroborating reports paint a bleak picture of refugee and migrant rights in Tunisia. The government’s repressive migration measures, racially targeted law enforcement, and collaboration with the EU’s border policies have together created a humanitarian emergency.
Reversing this trend requires an urgent humanitarian and political response: halting collective expulsions, ending racial incitement, restoring asylum-seeking mechanisms, and safeguarding civil society groups. Most critically, the EU must reassess its partnership with Tunisia to ensure respect for international human rights obligations rather than perpetuate violations through strategic cooperation.
