On Saturday, the Governor of Medenine, Habib Chaouat, confirmed that the Tunisian authorities have already begun the evacuation of their citizens from Libya. The Tunisians concerned had been stuck on the Libyan-Tunisian border for two weeks in areas adjacent to the Ras Jedir crossing.
In several statements, Chaouat said that the stranded Tunisians will return back home in batches, adding that they will be subjected to precise security and medical procedures before leaving the border crossing.
He pointed out that the Tunisian authorities provided accommodation for the evacuated nationals for the time required for their compulsory quarantine.
“Last week, we evacuated more than 1,200 Tunisians through the Ras Jedir border crossing, and we brought them back to their homes in more than 20 Tunisian governorates,” he added.
“Before sending these Tunisians back through the border crossing, we have to provide an accommodation for their compulsory quarantine,” Chaouat explained.
“Since the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis and up to last week, Tunisian authorities have repatriated 1,425 Tunisian citizens from the Ras Jedir crossing, including 372 who have been placed in compulsory quarantine,” stressed Mustafa Abdel Kabir, a human rights activist dealing with Libyan affairs.
He added that around 5,000 Tunisian workers are still in Libya, most of whom are expected to return to Tunisia in the coming days.