Tunisia removes hundreds of migrants to desert border region -rights group, lawmaker

FILE PHOTO: Migrants wait in the Tunisian port of Sfax after being stopped at sea by the Tunisian coast guard during an attempt to cross to Italy, April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui/

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia has removed hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants to a desolate area along the border with Libya, a local rights group and a lawmaker said on Wednesday, with witnesses reporting dozens more put on outbound trains following days of violence.

Disturbances between migrants and residents went on for a week in the port city of Sfax, and one Tunisian was killed, police said. Residents complained of disorderly behaviour by migrants, while migrants complained of racist harassment.