Attachments
Operational Context
In September, rescue at sea and interception operations continued at a high pace off the coast of Tunisia. Following a shipwreck on 11 September off the coast of Mahdia governorate, authorities retrieved the bodies of 12 individuals. During the month, 6,050 persons departures were observed from Tunisia, with 28,446 total departures between January–August 2022 – a sixteen percent increase from the same period in 2021. UNHCR continues to coordinate with local authorities to assist and support survivors and their families, including providing medical and psychological assistance.
Protests in front of UNHCR’s office in Tunis continue to disrupt protection services including registration, status determination, resettlement, and counselling activities. Teleworking modality was implemented for one week to ensure staff security after a group of 35 individuals forced their entry onto the premises on 19 September.
As part of regular case processing, UNHCR continues to review cases of asylum-seekers who are no longer in contact with the office, either because they are unreachable for an extended period, or because they have missed several in-person appointments. After careful review, individuals who have effectively “discarded” their application claims for refugee status will see their cases de-activated. Such claims can be re-activated at any point upon re-application. This standard review process has led to a reduction of 952 individual cases from UNHCR’s overall registration figures during this month, while ensuring improved case processing efficiency and more accurate case registration data.
Operational Response
On 28 September, UNHCR partner the Arab Institute for Human Rights (AIHR) signed a partnership agreement with Tunisian radio station Mosaique FM. This partnership, supported by UNHCR, aims to enhance the understanding and enforce the capacities of Mosaique’s journalists reporting on issues of displacement through a series of trainings that includes sharing best practices and case studies.
To mark the academic school year beginning in September, UNHCR and partners Tunisian Council for refugees (CTR) and Tunisian Scouts launched a back-to-school campaign to support refugee and asylum-seeking children’s access to education. The campaign seeks to sensitize parents about the importance of enrolling children in school, while supporting advocacy among authorities and private schools to integrate refugees and asylum-seekers into their education systems.
In collaboration with Tunisia’s Delegation of Social Affairs, the General Association of Persons with Motor Deficiencies (AGIM) in Medenine offered physiotherapy treatments to two refugees with disabilities living in southern Tunisia. The local association (AGIM) also offered handcraft workshops to refugees with disabilities, providing them the opportunity to develop their skills.