Summary:

On 28 October 2024, demonstrators gathered in front of the regional government offices in Jebeniana in Sfax to protest the presence of Sub-Saharan African migrants in the region. 

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The protestors burned tires and blocked a road in protest after encounters between local residents and migrants had turned violent. 

These developments come as migrants have settled in rural farmlands belonging to residents in Jebeniana who are starting the olive harvest season. Similar tensions emerged in the summer months when large migrant camps were set up in farmlands around Sfax, leading to the camps being broken up by security forces. 

Outlook: 

The latest protests and tensions over migration point to the ongoing challenge of effectively managing the migration issue.  Tensions in Sfax have evolved as security forces have worked to push migrants out of cities to rural areas. This effort has led to frustration amongst farmers and rural residents who continue to find migrant camps forming on their farms. 

As the government avoids establishing sanctioned locations for migrants to gather and receive humanitarian aid, migrants will continue to build ad hoc camps, often on farms that are removed from urban centers, but still near to various services. This situation is likely to lead to more tensions between migrants and residents, particularly as winter approaches which typically results in a slowdown of attempted sea crossings and thus an increase in the number of migrants gathering in Tunisia. 

The Tunisian government is continuing calls for cooperation to deport migrants in coordination with the International Migration Organization, but this is unlikely to help resolve the issue soon at a scale that would address the strategic issues faced by the government.  

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