Tunisian Opposition Condemns PM, Requests Apology

Tunisian Prime Minister Hicham el-Mechichi (File photo: AFP)

A number of Tunisian and international human rights organizations and opposition parties condemned the recent statement of Prime Minister Hicham el-Mechichi on irregular immigration and terrorism.

During a special interview with France24, Mechichi pointed out that illegal immigration is linked to terrorism, noting that all Tunisians who present a threat to France should return home.

The Democratic Current party said Mechichi’s interview was “disgraceful”, calling on the prime minister to apologize for the shocking statement because it feeds the stigma about many Tunisian expatriates, and legitimizes the European far-right rhetoric.

Head of the Democratic Patriots' Unified Party, Mongi Rahoui, said that the prime minister's statement is “strange and irresponsible."

Rahoui considered the interview a bad indication of the political situation in Tunisia, adding that whole Tunisian families resorted to irregular immigration as the last option after losing hope of having a decent life in the country.

He called on the premier to apologize to those families.

The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights also denounced Mechichi’s statement, saying it confirms a lack of understanding and experience as well as an inability to deal with an issue that could potentially damage the image of Tunisians.

The President of the forum, Abdul Rahman al-Huthaili, told Asharq Al-Awsat that such statements are an indication that the government is unaware of the reality and is not concerned with the hopes and expectations of the Tunisians.

Huthaili stressed that the citizens’ despair along with lack of opportunities in the country lead them to illegal immigration.

Asked about the protests demanding development and employment, Huthaili stressed that all indications show that the social situation will only worsen in the country, noting that the government is still not concerned with the people's needs and demands.

He asserted that the protests are the result of the failure of successive governments, and their continued adoption of the same failed pattern.