Tunisia opens gates to end chaos as hundreds stuck on closed Libya border

Since the frontier was closed last month, hundreds trying to get home were living rough until a group forced their way through

Simon Speakman Cordall

April 22, 2020

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  • Arabic

Tunisia has opened its border with Libya to allow hundreds of people, stranded in dire conditions, to return home.

The reopening came after several hundred Tunisian migrant workers forced their way across the Libyan border at the weekend.

As the coronavirus pandemic spread, hundreds of Tunisians who work in war-torn Libya began to head for home.

But they were unable to cross after their country closed its frontiers on March 16.

People began congregating on the dusty desert road to the border near a crossing point at Ras Jedir, outside the Tunisian town of Ben Guerdane.

Libyan road transport workers stranded on the Tunisian-Libyan border crossing of Ras Jedir in southeastern Tunisia gesture a farewell as a bus transporting repatriated Tunisian workers takes off. AFP
Libyan road transport workers stranded on the Tunisian-Libyan border crossing of Ras Jedir in southeastern Tunisia gesture a farewell as a bus transporting repatriated Tunisian workers takes off. AFP
Stranded Libyan drivers are also trying to return to their country. AFP
Stranded Libyan drivers are also trying to return to their country. AFP
Hundreds of Tunisians stranded for weeks in war-racked Libya due to the coronavirus have returned home after forcing their way through a border crossing. AFP
Hundreds of Tunisians stranded for weeks in war-racked Libya due to the coronavirus have returned home after forcing their way through a border crossing. AFP
Tunisian workers stranded in Libya wait at the Ras Jedir border post to return to their country on April 21, 2020. AFP
Tunisian workers stranded in Libya wait at the Ras Jedir border post to return to their country on April 21, 2020. AFP
Tunisian workers stranded in Libya wait at the Ras Jedir border post to return to their country on April 21, 2020. AFP
Tunisian workers stranded in Libya wait at the Ras Jedir border post to return to their country on April 21, 2020. AFP
Tunisian workers stranded in Libya wait at the Ras Jedir border post to return to their country on April 21, 2020. AFP
Tunisian workers stranded in Libya wait at the Ras Jedir border post to return to their country on April 21, 2020. AFP
Tunisian workers stranded in Libya wait at the Ras Jedir border post to return to their country on April 21, 2020. AFP
Tunisian workers stranded in Libya wait at the Ras Jedir border post to return to their country on April 21, 2020. AFP
Tunisian workers stranded in Libya wait at the Ras Jedir border post to return to their country on April 21, 2020. AFP
Tunisian workers stranded in Libya wait at the Ras Jedir border post to return to their country on April 21, 2020. AFP
Tunisian border policemen follow up the repatriation of Tunisian workers stranded in Libya as they board buses at the Ras Jedir border post to return to their country. AFP
Tunisian border policemen follow up the repatriation of Tunisian workers stranded in Libya as they board buses at the Ras Jedir border post to return to their country. AFP
Hundreds of Tunisians stranded for weeks in war-racked Libya due to the coronavirus have returned home after forcing their way through a border crossing. AFP
Hundreds of Tunisians stranded for weeks in war-racked Libya due to the coronavirus have returned home after forcing their way through a border crossing. AFP

Deprived of anywhere to bed down or wash, many were sleeping in a nearby mosque.

The crowd grew so large that Libyan border forces housed them in an open compound, while the International Organisation for Migration and Libyan Red Crescent provided emergency relief.

Federico Soda, the IOM's chief of mission in Libya, said people began to congregate on the Libyan side of the border in early April and by last weekend about 1,000 people were waiting to cross.

"By Sunday things were very tense," Mr Soda told The National.

"We had to pull our people out as it didn't seem that we were contributing to anything.

"My team got the strong sense that people weren't interested in anything other than returning to Tunisia.

"That evening, I'm told that a group of between 200 and 300 people were able to force the gate at the frontier and make their way into Tunisia before the Libyan security were able to regain control."

Tunisia's border guards, realising the seriousness of the situation, summoned reinforcements and eventually opened the gates for a controlled entry.

The government later said the remaining 652 nationals then entered Tunisia, with the last person crossing about 11pm local time on Monday.

Officers then took each person's details.

Coronavirus around the Middle East 

A 120-bed ward at a specialised hospital for coronavirus cases opened by the Kurdish Red Crescent about 10 kilometres from the Syrian city of Hasakeh after the first COVID-19 death was reported in the north-eastern region. AFP
A 120-bed ward at a specialised hospital for coronavirus cases opened by the Kurdish Red Crescent about 10 kilometres from the Syrian city of Hasakeh after the first COVID-19 death was reported in the north-eastern region. AFP
A man wearing protective gloves shows the interface of the app "Be Aware", launched by Bahrain's health authorities to contain the coronavirus disease, at a hotel in Manama, Bahrain. Reuters
A man wearing protective gloves shows the interface of the app "Be Aware", launched by Bahrain's health authorities to contain the coronavirus disease, at a hotel in Manama, Bahrain. Reuters
Doctors and nurses look at scans of a patient infected with the Covid-19 virus at the dedicated intensive care unit at the Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Getty
Doctors and nurses look at scans of a patient infected with the Covid-19 virus at the dedicated intensive care unit at the Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Getty
Motorbikes of a delivery company line up in Dubai. AFP
Motorbikes of a delivery company line up in Dubai. AFP
Medical staff attend to a patient infected with the coronavirus in the dedicated intensive care unit at the Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Getty
Medical staff attend to a patient infected with the coronavirus in the dedicated intensive care unit at the Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Getty
Palestinian Shahira Qafisheh, 85, video chats with her daughters during the coronavirus lockdown in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. AFP
Palestinian Shahira Qafisheh, 85, video chats with her daughters during the coronavirus lockdown in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. AFP
A Palestinian man wearing a coronavirus costume sewed by his sister plays with a girl in the central Gaza Strip amid the pandemic. AFP
A Palestinian man wearing a coronavirus costume sewed by his sister plays with a girl in the central Gaza Strip amid the pandemic. AFP
Palestinian artists paint a mural in a show of support for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails amid the coronavirus pandemic, in Gaza City. AFP
Palestinian artists paint a mural in a show of support for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails amid the coronavirus pandemic, in Gaza City. AFP
An Iraqi medic swabs a woman in Iraq's central city of Najaf, during the nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. AFP
An Iraqi medic swabs a woman in Iraq's central city of Najaf, during the nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. AFP
An Iraqi medic swabs a boy in Iraq's central city of Najaf, during the nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. AFP
An Iraqi medic swabs a boy in Iraq's central city of Najaf, during the nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. AFP
Chinese embassy officials react after the arrival of medical aid at Baghdad Airport in Iraq. AP
Chinese embassy officials react after the arrival of medical aid at Baghdad Airport in Iraq. AP
Displaced Syrian boys pose while wearing face masks decorated by artists during a Covid-19 awareness campaign at the Bardaqli camp in the town of Dana in Syria's north-west Idlib province. AFP
Displaced Syrian boys pose while wearing face masks decorated by artists during a Covid-19 awareness campaign at the Bardaqli camp in the town of Dana in Syria's north-west Idlib province. AFP
Female worker wearing masks and gloves works in teauty salon in one of the neighborhoods of Damascus, Syria. EPA
Female worker wearing masks and gloves works in teauty salon in one of the neighborhoods of Damascus, Syria. EPA
A Bahraini triathlete Sameera Al Bitar wearing gloves and a mask takes her bicycle out of her car as she prepares for a training session, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, in Manama, Bahrain. Reuters
A Bahraini triathlete Sameera Al Bitar wearing gloves and a mask takes her bicycle out of her car as she prepares for a training session, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, in Manama, Bahrain. Reuters

"The old people and families were dealt with first and returned quickly to their governorates," said Dr Mongi Slim, head of the Red Crescent's offices in southern Tunisia.

"The men were all interviewed by security to see what they had been doing in Libya and how they had entered the country."

The conflict in Libya has drawn in thousands of foreign fighters, including Tunisians.

Dr Slim said there was resentment in the local community over the treatment of those trying to return.

It was in contrast to the way Tunisia sent European and Gulf workers to comfortable hotels along the coast for quarantine.

With at least 6,000 Tunisians working in neighbouring Libya, many of those yet to return are expected to try to soon make their way to the border.

The coronavirus pandemic is spreading in Libya at the same time as fighting intensifies.

Ramadan, starting this week, is also likely to draw many home to be with their families.

Libyan workers, mainly lorry drivers,  are also stranded in Tunisia after Libya closed its borders on March 17 to try to stop the spread of Covid-19.

While the situation is calm, all are relying on the IOM and the Red Crescent for food and water until arrangements can be made for their return to Libya.

There is no official word, as yet, on a plan to allow them to cross.

Despite the turmoil that has engulfed Libya since 2011, the country is a tempting prospect for Tunisian workers.

Large numbers are drawn to work in the oil and gas industry, or what was until recently a healthy building sector, despite the war.

Smuggling has also proved to be a rewarding source of income on both sides of the frontier for decades.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

RESULTS
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Kareem Shaheen on Canada
On Women's Day
How%20champions%20are%20made
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EDiet%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E7am%20-%20Protein%20shake%20with%20oats%20and%20fruits%0D%3Cbr%3E10am%20-%205-6%20egg%20whites%0D%3Cbr%3E1pm%20-%20White%20rice%20or%20chapati%20(Indian%20bread)%20with%20chicken%0D%3Cbr%3E4pm%20-%20Dry%20fruits%20%0D%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%20-%20Pre%20workout%20meal%20%E2%80%93%20grilled%20fish%20or%20chicken%20with%20veggies%20and%20fruits%0D%3Cbr%3E8.30pm%20to%20midnight%20workout%0D%3Cbr%3E12.30am%20%E2%80%93%20Protein%20shake%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20intake%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204000-4500%20calories%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESaidu%E2%80%99s%20weight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20110%20kg%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStats%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Biceps%2019%20inches.%20Forearms%2018%20inches%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Results:

First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15

Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24

Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15

SPECS
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Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

UAE squad

Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

While you're here
TEAMS

US Team
Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth
Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger
Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler
Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed
Matt Kuchar, Kevin Chappell
Charley Hoffman*, Phil Mickelson*

International Team
Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day 
Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen
Marc Leishman, Charl Schwartzel
Branden Grace, Si Woo Kim
Jhonattan Vegas, Adam Hadwin
Emiliano Grillo*, Anirban Lahiri*

* denotes captain's picks

 

 

EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

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Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

TunisiaCoronavirusLibya