Tunisia has repatriated about 10,000 irregular migrants so far this year, most of them from sub-Saharan African countries, the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Ali Nafti, announced on Tuesday.
Nafti, who made the disclosure while addressing lawmakers, said the returns were conducted through a voluntary repatriation programme coordinated with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). He explained that the initiative involves weekly flights arranged to assist migrants willing to return to their home countries.
The minister reaffirmed Tunisia’s position to its European partners that the North African country “will not become a transit zone” for migration to Europe.
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According to official data, Tunisia repatriated around 7,200 migrants in 2024 under the same initiative and plans to continue the programme until what it described as “the phenomenon is eliminated.”
Tunisia has been grappling with a migration crisis in recent years, as thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa remain stranded in the country. Many are living in makeshift camps and forests in southern towns such as Amra and Jbeniana after being prevented by authorities from crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
Officials say that as Tunisia has intensified security along its maritime borders, the number of migrants successfully reaching European shores has dropped significantly in 2025.
