The specialist in financial risks, Mourad Hattab, said that “the cost of irregular migrants from sub -Saharan African countries, mainly concentrated in Sfax, is estimated at around 400 million dinars per year”.
In a statement to the Tunisian TAP press agency, on the occasion of a media meeting held Thursday evening in Sfax on the “political, economic and social risks of irregular immigration”, Mr. Hattab said that this sum covers expenses related to health, housing, public services, sanitation and other essential needs. He also mentioned that irregular migrants in Tunisia represent 22 nationalities.
The specialist pointed out that “the optimal solution to deal with the phenomenon of unspeakable irregular migration lies in a voluntary return in an organized setting, the proximity of services for irregular migrants and the control and monitoring of borders, in anticipation of future migratory flows”.
For his part, the expert in social protection, Badr Smaoui alerted to the social consequences of migrants in an irregular situation in Tunisia. He evoked “the proliferation of begging, terrorist and criminal practices, which negatively impacts the social life of Tunisians”.
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The also highlighted the health risks linked to infectious diseases in irregular migrants, such as AIDS, malaria, conjunctivitis and tuberculosis.
