When Marie saw the four officers at the road checkpoint, she had a feeling that something bad might happen. They were wearing the combat green uniform of Tunisia’s national guard and asked to search her bag. Marie had been traveling for weeks, crossing the Sahara desert to reach the north coast of Africa. But now, just minutes away from her destination, she feared for her safety.
One of the officers lunged towards her while another grabbed her from behind and lifted her into the air. In broad daylight, on the outskirts of Sfax in Tunisia, Marie was sexually assaulted. She believed that they were going to rape her but luckily, her screams caught the attention of a group of passing Sudanese refugees and scared off her attackers.
Marie considers herself lucky compared to other sub-Saharan migrant women who have experienced similar violence at the hands of Tunisian security forces. According to Yasmine, who runs a healthcare organization in Sfax, there have been numerous cases of violent rape and torture by police.
The EU has pledged £89m in migration-related funding to Tunisia as part of an agreement aimed at combating migrant smugglers. However, there are allegations that this funding is indirectly supporting security forces involved in sexual violence against vulnerable women.
The deal also promises “respect for human rights,” but reports suggest that security forces are colluding with smugglers and engaging in abusive practices such as robbing and beating migrants before abandoning them in harsh desert conditions without food or water.
Despite mounting concerns about human rights abuses, European countries like Italy are still interested in paying Tunisia to prevent migrants from reaching Europe. The number of refugees and migrants near El Amra continues to grow under dire conditions while aid agencies struggle to access them.
There are questions about Europe’s willingness to compromise on human rights commitments when it comes to curbing migration from Africa. The EU is aware of
