Since 2011, tens of thousands of people have perished while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach the shores of the European Union, a catastrophe that has left thousands of families in mourning. Less known is the drama of many migrants whose fate is still unclear, having disappeared after arriving in European soil. Among those desperately seeking answers and fighting for justice is Imed Soltani, a mechanic in Tunis. His personal storyplaces him at the forefront of a poignant struggle for truth and dignity for the victims.
By Méline Laffabry (edited by Rogerio Simoes)
In March 2011, Imed Soltani’s two nephews, Belhassan (23) and Slim (27) Soltani, tried their luck to cross the Mediterranean. “The whole family knew they wanted to leave for Europe to improve their standard of living.”
Slim and Belhassane are among tens of thousands of Tunisians who left their country and took to the sea to try to reach Europe since 2011. Only between late January and September 2011, more than 27,000 had arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa. “We know our boys arrived in Lampedusa but disappeared there on 1 March, 2011.”
“At that time, there was a lot of noise about arrivals in Lampedusa. There were many videos. Italian and European media were talking about it every day. Italian residents were not happy. The Prime Minister at the time, Silvio Berlusconi, went there and announced that he would leave no trace of Tunisians and return the island to Italians,” explains Imed.
Indeed, Silvio Berlusconi announced drastic and rapid measures. “The government has prepared a plan to evacuate, to free the island, within two to two and a half days. Within forty-eight to sixty hours, Lampedusa will be inhabited only by Lampedusans,” the prime minister declared during his visit on 30 March, 2011.
In search of their boys, Imed and his family then began their “struggle for justice and truth.” By gathering several families of the missing in search of answers, Imed founded the association “Terre pour tous” (Land for All). “We chose this name because we know that if there is not land for all, there is no justice. If we do not fight, the number of deaths and disappearances in the Mediterranean will continue to increase.”
The association operates without any financial support. “We don’t even have a bank account. We want to keep a free voice and total freedom of speech. If we accept money from the European Union, we can no longer clearly say what we think and denounce what is happening.”
In 2015, the families obtained the opening of an investigation commission. “We sent all the videos and call records of our boys proving that they had indeed arrived in Lampedusa. We have testimonies and videos showing that large boats, on 1, 14, and 29 of March, and 29 of April, brought immigrants but we never heard from them again. We don’t know where these boats were going. There is something wrong. We spoke to the Italian Ministry of the Interior in Rome where there is an office dealing with missing people. They never gave a clear answer to Tunisian families.”
“An undeclared war”
Imed minces no words. For him, these deaths and disappearances are a direct consequence of European policies. “EU policies are an undeclared war. There are agreements between the European Union and Tunisia and between Italy and Tunisia that make our country the border guard of Europe. We do not agree with this and we fight against it. These policies have turned the Mediterranean into a cemetery and we want the EU to take responsibility.”
“A month ago, in March 2024, we found the bodies of six boys buried in Italian graves with no names, only identified by numbers. They had left Tunisia in October 2023 and had not given any sign of life after arriving in Lampedusa. This is not the first time that in searching for our missing persons, we find their bodies in Italian cemeteries. After DNA tests, we were able to pressure the government to have them repatriated and buried in Tunisian graves with their names where their families can come to mourn.”
Imed is also sensitive to the fate of sub-Saharan exiles passing through Tunisia to reach the Mediterranean. “We stand in solidarity with sub-Saharans. Many of them are in Sfax. They live in camps, in fields, under trees. This is unacceptable.”
To protect Tunisians and sub-Saharans and do justice to those for whom it is already too late, Imed and his association work tirelessly. . “All these problems are due to the closure of borders and the non-respect of international laws and human rights. We just want respect for these laws. Respect for the humanity of each person. That’s our fight.”
This article is part of the special series “Tunisia – Land of Passage”, produced by Specto Media and aidóni. Listen to the podcast here.
