Photo credit: Africa News
In Tunisia, the Assembly of Representatives of the People has submitted a proposal to the General Legislation Commission to amend Law 68-7, 1968, relating to foreigners’ status.
Jurist News reports that the proposal was motivated by the unprecedented number of undocumented migrants entering Tunisia, protection of national security and combating human trafficking.
The amendment was presented in accordance with Article 68 of the constitution and would modifyArticle 23 by increasing the prison sentence for foreigners who enter or leave the country in violation of Articles 4 and 5 of Law 68-7 to between one to three years. It is currently one month to one year.
Other stringent measures are also proposed for other immigration offences.
The proposal comes a week after a large protest demanding the removal of undocumented migrants from the country. On May 4, hundreds of Tunisians were on the streets to protest the presence of migrants, most of whom are from sub-Saharan Africa. They urged the authorities to find a solution. The Tunisian authorities subsequently raided migrant encampments, removed tents and expelled migrants in Tunis and Sifax.
However, some activists were arrested on Thursday for protesting outside the UN headquarters in Tunis. They protested against the demolition of the encampments and criticized Tunisia’s deal with the EU.
