France, Dec. 15 -- Six staff members of the Tunisian branch of the France Terre d'Asile aid group, along with 17 municipal workers from the eastern city of Sousse, face charges of sheltering migrants and facilitating their "illegal entry and residence".

If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison.

Migration is a sensitive issue in Tunisia, a key transit point for tens of thousands of people seeking to reach Europe each year.

A former head of Terre d'Asile Tunisie, Sherifa Riahi, is among the accused and has been detained for more than 19 months, according to her lawyer Abdellah Ben Meftah.

Two years on from EU deal, violence against migrants in Tunisia remains rife 'Bogus criminal trial'

"The only thing I'm sure of is that Sheri...