Tunisia repatriates thousands of migrants to their home countries

The Tunisian Ministry of Interior revealed the repatriation of 10,254 irregular migrants to their home countries during the first ten months of 2026, in a new tally reflecting ongoing government efforts to address the issue of irregular migration, which constitutes one of the most prominent security and humanitarian challenges facing the country.

Minister of Interior Khaled Nouri announced, during the discussion of his ministry's budget project for 2027 in a parliamentary session that extended into the early hours of Friday, November 13, 2026, that the repatriation operations covered the period from January 1 to October 31, suggesting that the tally would rise in the coming months.

The minister explained that Tunisian authorities are adopting a participatory approach in managing this file, in coordination with the Ministries of National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Tunisians Abroad, alongside several international and national organizations, most notably the Tunisian Red Crescent.

He emphasized that government efforts aim to intensify voluntary return programs for migrants to their countries of origin, in parallel with the continued monitoring of land and maritime borders and countering attempts at irregular infiltration.

Security measures also include tracking activities related to human trafficking and migrant smuggling, working to dismantle networks involved in them, and referring suspects to the competent judiciary.

However, the total figure revealed by the minister does not provide a detailed breakdown of the percentage of voluntary return operations compared to other repatriation procedures—a distinction that remains important when evaluating the adopted policy in light of legal and humanitarian obligations.

These data come at a time when debate continues regarding ways to achieve a balance between border control and the protection of migrants' rights, especially given Tunisia's location along one of the migration routes toward Europe, and the resulting security, social, and humanitarian burdens.