Tunis, April 24 — A group of 149 Guinean irregular migrants departed Tunisia voluntarily from Tunis-Carthage Airport on Thursday, marking the fourth such voluntary return flight in 2025.

Spokesperson for the Directorate General of National Security, Imed Mamacha said four additional voluntary return flights are scheduled for May 2025, averaging one per week.

"This flight carried irregular migrants from Guinea who decided to return voluntarily to their country, and is the result of the concerted efforts of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Health, in particular, as well as all the parties involved," Mamacha said.

He stressed that the voluntary departure of these migrants is carried out in a manner that respects human rights.

This is part of a programme that includes several voluntary return trips of irregular African migrants from sub-Saharan countries, both private and commercial, in coordination with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), he further indicated.

He explained that the flights are scheduled after identifying the list of those who wish to return to their country of origin and according to the aviation security sector, which is subject to certain procedures, noting that this flight includes irregular migrants from Guinea, similar to the previous flight on April 17.

Last Thursday, 142 irregular migrants from the Republic of Guinea voluntarily returned home from Tunis Carthage airport.

Since the beginning of the year, 1,544 migrants have been voluntarily returned, President Kais Saied announced during a meeting with Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti in March.

In 2024, Tunisia secured the voluntary return of 7,250 irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa in coordination with the International Organisation for Migration and neighbouring countries (Algeria and Libya), in addition to cooperating with African countries to facilitate the voluntary return of their citizens.