The number of migrants making their way to Italy across the Mediterranean has been increasing rapidly for weeks. The crisis was triggered by Kais Saied, the dictatorial ruler of Tunisia. A man with powerful friends in Europe.
Tunisian President Kais Saied likes to be called “Robocop” by his admirers. The nickname is an allusion to the mostly still facial features of the 65-year-old. And a mirror of his ruthlessness.
Having come into office in 2019 as a beacon of hope, Saied is increasingly developing into a dictatorial autocrat. He overthrew parliament and rewrote the constitution. The President has the remaining critics prosecuted as “traitors” or “terrorists”. Dozens of members of the opposition, journalists and activists ended up in prison under his rule, and since the beginning of this year political persecution has reached a climax with a new wave of arrests. Most recently, Saied incited the people against African migrants.