Potential humanitarian crisis looms as Tunisian immigration to Europe rises

At a time when Tunisia is facing a political crisis, the number of Tunisians leaving the country is on the rise — and is causing a potential humanitarian crisis in Europe.

Internal disagreements between Tunisian President Qais Saed and the head of the parliament Rashid Gunoshi, who belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood, have caused severe turmoil in the country. Some 80 parliamentarians have signed a petition to remove Qanoshi and to label the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.

These internal conflicts between the parliament and the president have undermined the government’s ability to focus on issues such as improving economy and unemployment. As sky news Arabic reports 45 percent of immigrants to Italy are Tunisian. Last week alone, about 12,000 immigrants arrived in the south of Italy compared to only 3,500 at this time last year.