Escape
European Union and Tunisia conclude migration agreement
Mark Rutte (l), Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Ursula von der Leyen (2nd from left), President of the European Commission, and Giorgia Meloni (r), Prime Minister of Italy, have signed an agreement with Tunisian President Kais Saied.
© Freek Van Den Bergh / DPA
In the future, Tunisia should do more to prevent migrants from fleeing to Europe. The EU promises the country long-term financial aid. Tunisian security forces are suspected of repeatedly pushing refugees into inhospitable areas.
From Tunisia countless people from African countries try again and again to reach the EU with a dangerous crossing over the Mediterranean Sea. Von der Leyen said that the “comprehensive strategic partnership” that has now been agreed should push back irregular migration and promote Tunisia’s economic development.
von der Leyen: “need effective cooperation”
The head of the commission spoke after talks with the Tunisian head of state Kais Saied in the presidential palace in Tunis. She was accompanied on her visit by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, to whose country a particularly large number of migrants arrive, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The three European politicians met Saied just over a month ago.
“We need effective cooperation more than ever,” von der Leyen said. The agreement is intended not only to take better action against smugglers and human traffickers, but also, for example, to improve the search for and rescue of refugees who may have gotten into trouble.
Long-term financial support for Tunisia
The agreement that has now been concluded provides 105 million euros in EU funds for Tunisia to fight against irregular migration. In addition, 150 million euros in household help are planned for the North African country, which suffers from massive national debt. During their visit just over a month ago, the three European politicians also promised a further 900 million euros in long-term support over several years, for example in the form of loans.
As announced, these long-term financial aids should flow “as soon as the necessary conditions” are met, said von der Leyen. This includes, above all, an agreement between the government in Tunis and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on new loans – but negotiations on this have been stuck in a dead end for months.
The heavily indebted Tunisia is currently not receiving any additional loans abroad. In the country itself there are repeated bottlenecks in the supply of staple foods such as flour, sugar and rice, which are bought and imported by the state.
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Security forces are said to keep pushing refugees into inhospitable areas
Head of state Saied has also been adopting increasingly xenophobic tones since the beginning of the year. In February, he gave a speech calling for action to be taken against the illegal immigration of “hordes” of people from sub-Saharan Africa. The speech, which sparked international outrage, sparked a wave of violence against migrants from southern African countries. In addition, Tunisian security forces are said to keep pushing refugees into inhospitable areas.
Just over the weekend, Libyan border guards rescued at least 80 migrants stranded in the desert border region with Tunisia, according to journalists from the AFP news agency. According to the Tunisian authorities, the men, women and children from countries south of the Sahara had been abandoned in the desert area and left without water and food.
AFP journalists saw the refugees wandering in an uninhabited area near the Al Assah border town in Libyan territory. They were visibly exhausted, lying thirsty on the sand and seeking shelter under sparse shrubs when temperatures exceeded 40 degrees. Libyan border guards gave them water and took them to a shelter where they received further care.