Sub-Saharan African countries which have started repatriating their nationals include Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea and Gabon.
The Nigerian government has joined other sub-Saharan African countries to repatriate its citizens from Tunisia over a series of attacks and shocking statements by the Tunisian President, Kais Saied.
Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission said while some sub-Saharan African countries evacuated their nationals last week, the Nigerian Ambassador to Tunisia, Asari Allotey is in consultation with the Nigerian community on a decision on evacuation but to date, those that have agreed to return to Nigeria are very few.
The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa in a statement on Monday said, "Here is an update on the situation in Tunisia, where blacks have been victims of racial attacks. Our Ambassador, Asari Allotey, is in consultation with the Nigerian Community, on a decision on evacuation.
"Those that have agreed to return to Nigeria are very few and the mission is working with the IOM to arrange tickets for them. The many others want to wait it out, praying it will soon pass, following the intervention of the AU and the African Group of Ambassadors.
"Though we don't really have a large community of Nigerians in Tunisia as many of them are those rescued from the Mediterranean after a failed attempt to cross from Libya, the mission will update if they do request to return."
CNN reports that other sub-Saharan African countries which have started repatriating their nationals include Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea and Gabon, after the controversial statements from the Tunisian president last month on illegal immigration into the country.
President Saied in a meeting of Tunisia's National Security Council on February 21, described alleged illegal border crossings from Sub-Saharan Africa into the North African country as a "criminal enterprise hatched at the beginning of this century to change the demographic composition of Tunisia."
CNN further reports that President Saied said the continuous illegal immigration aims to turn Tunisia into "only an African country with no belonging to the Arab and Muslim worlds," alleging that the ones behind the scheme are involved in human trafficking.
But the African Union has strongly condemned the Tunisian President's statements, calling them "racial" and "shocking."
The African Union in a statement reportedly released on February 24th said, "The Chairperson reminds all countries, particularly African Union Member States, to honor their obligations under international law and relevant African Union instruments to treat all migrants with dignity, wherever they come from, refrain from radicalized hate speech that could bring people to harm, and prioritize their safety and human rights."
But in another speech on February 23, President Saied was reported to have maintained that there is no racial discrimination in Tunisia and said "our African brothers residing in Tunisia legally" are welcome in the country.
CNN reports that Tunisian authorities arrested 58 African migrants on Friday after they allegedly crossed the border and resided illegally in the country.
There have been a series of attacks on Nigerians and other citizens of other sub-Saharan African countries living in Tunisia, with some of the victims of the attacks killed.