Tunis: Fourteen Tunisians arrived on Sunday afternoon at Tunis-Carthage International Airport, coming from the Jordanian capital Amman aboard Royal Jordanian, after being evacuated from Lebanon, which has recently been experiencing a fragile security situation, along with other countries in the Gulf and Middle East due to military attacks.
According to Agence Tunis Afrique Presse, the Tunisians residing in Lebanon were welcomed by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, civil society activists, and members of their families. Director of Consular Affairs with Arab States within Tunisia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Tunisians Abroad, Beya Abdelbaki, stated that the ministry handled the matter by contacting Tunisian citizens in Lebanon who had appealed to the Presidency of the Republic of Tunisia to arrange their evacuation and ensure their return home.
Abdelbaki confirmed that the Presidency had responded to their request, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs facilitated their return through the Embassy of Tunisia in Jordan, which ensured their transit from Lebanon. She added that travel expenses were covered by the Office of Tunisians Abroad (under the Ministry of Social Affairs), which purchased the airline tickets.
The return of 14 Tunisians was secured out of a total of 100 requests for repatriation, Abdelbaki explained, while the return of the remaining citizens will be organized in stages through other flights in the coming days. Coordination is ongoing to secure available seats with Middle East Airlines and Royal Jordanian.
Regarding Tunisians residing in Iran, Abdelbaki mentioned that 95 Tunisians currently live there, of whom 17 returned to Tunisia after expressing their wish to do so last week.
Khaoula, a Tunisian citizen who returned Sunday from Lebanon, shared that many buildings and homes had been demolished and destroyed in the southern suburbs of Beirut where she lived. She noted that the events she experienced in recent days were unprecedented during her 14 years living in Lebanon. She expressed her gratitude to the Tunisian state for responding quickly to their call to return home, praising the efforts of the Embassy of Tunisia in Lebanon in coordinating her return. She added that she received full support throughout the journey, which started in Lebanon, passed through Jordan, and ended in Tunisia.
More than 230 Tunisians reside in Lebanon, mainly in the southern suburbs of Beirut and in the cities of Tyre and Sidon, as well as in some western regions. Most members of the community hold dual Tunisian-Lebanese nationality or are Tunisian women married to Lebanese citizens.
The Tunisian diplomatic mission in Lebanon had issued a statement from the first day of the attacks, calling on members of the community to exercise the utmost caution and follow the instructions of local authorities. It also provided an emergency phone number and an email address to receive inquiries from members of the community and provide them with the necessary assistance.