Tunisia is coming under fire on the international stage as lawsuits pile up accusing its authorities of systematic violations of migrants’ rights. A former minister and a human rights lawyer have launched international legal actions, claiming that Tunisian security forces, acting under state orders, carried out expulsions, violent crackdowns, and collective punishments that amount to crimes under international law.
The accusations are damning. Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have described being rounded up in raids, beaten, stripped of belongings, and dumped at the Libyan and Algerian borders without water, food, or shelter. Humanitarian workers documented dozens of deaths in the desert in 2023, where families, including children, were left to die.
“These are state crimes, coordinated at the highest level,” one of the lawyers told international media. “Tunisia has turned its borders into graveyards with Europe’s blessing.”
The lawsuits accuse Tunisian officials of violating the Refugee Convention, the Convention Against Torture, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. They also allege complicity from the European Union, which last year struck a €255 million migration-control deal with Tunisia, effectively outsourcing Europe’s borders.
Brussels insists the funds are meant for “development and capacity-building,” but critics say the EU is paying Tunisia to do its dirty work – rounding up and expelling migrants before they can reach Europe.
Tunisia denies all wrongdoing. Officials claim the country is overwhelmed and insists it is respecting international law. But with lawsuits now in motion before international courts in Europe and Africa, Tunisia could soon be forced to defend itself in hearings that may expose the inner workings of its migration crackdown.
For now, rights groups are calling the legal actions a “historic test” for both Tunisia and Europe’s migration policies.
Neutral / Wire-Service Style ,Tunisia Faces International Legal Actions Over Migrant Rights Violations ,Tunis, September 2025 – Tunisia is facing multiple legal challenges before international courts over alleged violations of migrants’ rights, according to legal sources. The proceedings were initiated in recent months by a former Tunisian minister and a human rights lawyer, aiming to hold the state accountable for its migration policies.
The lawsuits accuse Tunisian authorities of expelling migrants to desert border zones with Libya and Algeria, where humanitarian organizations have reported deaths and disappearances. Rights groups argue these expulsions violate international conventions including the 1951 Refugee Convention and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The legal actions also question the role of the European Union, which signed a €255 million migration-control deal with Tunisia in 2023. Critics say this agreement encouraged Tunisian authorities to intensify border measures that disproportionately affect sub-Saharan migrants.
Tunisian officials have dismissed the accusations, stating that the country is managing heavy migration flows with limited resources. They maintain that policies are consistent with international obligations.
Legal experts caution that while the cases may take years to resolve, the proceedings themselves represent a significant challenge for Tunisia, placing its migration practices under greater international scrutiny.
