Viral claim of 64 billion dinars in monthly subsidized product consumption by migrants in Tunisia is unfounded
via Business News2 min read
A widely shared social media post claims that "Africans" consume 64 billion dinars worth of subsidized products like milk, bread, and oil each month in Tunisia, suggesting this impacts the poor and needy. This assertion has fueled anger and led some internet users to blame sub-Saharan migrants for pressure on basic goods and public finances. However, this claim lacks any factual basis. No official data from the Ministry of Commerce, the General Compensation Fund, or any other public or independent institution supports a "monthly consumption of 64 billion" dinars attributed to migrants. The publication provides no source, a common tactic in misleading content. Furthermore, the figure itself is economically incoherent. Such a high consumption would imply an extremely large population with significant purchasing power and widespread access to distribution channels, which contradicts the reality of precarious migrants who often have limited and irregular resources. This narrative also overlooks that all Tunisian residents consume these subsidized products daily. Blaming a vulnerable minority for tensions surrounding these products is a form of scapegoating. The difficulties within the compensation system are long-standing, stemming from inflation, rising import costs, budgetary imbalances, and distribution issues, predating the increased visibility of sub-Saharan migrants. The social media post employs a common tactic: a shocking, unproven figure combined with an overgeneralizati
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