Tunisia has deported hundreds of Sub-Saharan African migrants to a desolate area along the border with Libya, following days of violence between migrants and residents in the port city of Sfax, reports Reuters.

The disturbances began after a Tunisian man was killed in clashes with migrants. Residents complained of disorderly behavior by migrants, while migrants complained of racist harassment.

Ramadan Ben Omar, a human rights activist, told Reuters that police had sent back hundreds of migrants, including women and children, and left them in a closed military zone along the desert border with Libya. There are reports of migrant beatings, ejections from the accommodation they had rented, and arbitrary detentions by local residents over the past several days before police intervened and restored order.

The deportations come amid a surge in migration across the Mediterranean from Tunisia this year. Tunisia is under pressure from Europe to stop large numbers of migrants from departing its coasts. But President Kais Saied said that Tunisia will not be a "border guard", and that it will not accept the settlement of immigrants in the country.

Sfax, in Tunisia, witnessed a surge of African migrants crossing its borders illegally, as they seek to embark on boats operated by human traffickers with hopes of reaching Europe. This influx has led to an unparalleled migration crisis for the North African nation.