A Brutal Attack on Refugees: Tunisia’s Ongoing Repression and Racism

In yet another act of repression and racism, Tunisian security forces have launched a violent attack on a refugee camp, dismantling tents, and destroying makeshift facilities that refugees had built with their own hands. These spaces — including a cinema, a mosque, and a pharmacy — were symbols of resilience and self-organization, now reduced to ruins by a state that offers nothing but violence in place of solutions.

This camp was more than just a cluster of tents; it was a living experiment in self-organization, where refugees proved their ability to build a community based on solidarity and cooperation, independent of a state that has failed them at every turn. The attack was not just an eviction — it was an attempt to erase a model that proves life is possible outside the state’s oppressive grip. Despite all the repression, starvation, and neglect, the marginalized continue to create real alternatives.

This assault is yet another chapter in Tunisia’s systematic racist policies, where refugees are scapegoated for the country’s crises. The government’s actions align with European policies pushing Tunisia to act as a border guard, preventing the movement of those seeking safety and dignity. This is not just an attack on a refugee camp — it is a crime that cannot be justified, deeply rooted in the official racist rhetoric the regime has been adopting against migrants and refugees in recent months.

We strongly condemn this brutal repression and call on all free voices to reject it and stand in solidarity with its victims. In the face of state barbarism, our commitment to self-organization and direct solidarity must only grow stronger. What truly threatens the authorities is not just the presence of refugees, but their ability to create life beyond a system built on exploitation and oppression.