They want to create legal ways for migration: Interior Minister Faeser has appealed to Tunisian President Saied for more cooperation. Her French counterpart Darmanin announced support in the millions.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wants to strengthen cooperation with Tunisia on migration issues. Good working structures have been established with the Tunisian authorities, she said after talks with Tunisian President Kais Saied and Interior Minister Kamel Feki in the Tunisian capital Tunis.
France wants to support border protection
It’s about “ending the terrible deaths in the Mediterranean”, fighting smuggling and creating legal channels for immigration. Faeser made the comments at a press conference with her French counterpart Gérald Darmanin after the meetings. They traveled to Tunisia together on Sunday. France will provide Tunisia with 25.8 million euros for border guard training and material, Darmanin said.
German police trains forces on site
Faeser visited the federal police project office in Tunis on Sunday. Among other things, this supports the Tunisian National Guard and border police with training and equipment in combating irregular migration. Around 30 million euros were used between 2015 and 2022.
On Monday, Faeser also visited the German-Tunisian advice center for jobs, migration and reintegration. This was opened in 2017 by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and is intended to give returnees prospects on the Tunisian labor market and inform them about legal migration routes.
“For me it is important that we, with the Federal Police and also the Federal Criminal Police Office, help to ensure that there are principles of the rule of law and human rights in police work and the border police here on site,” said Faeser.
EU provides millions for border management available
A particularly large number of people are currently starting their crossing from Africa via the Mediterranean Sea to the EU from Tunisia. Various European countries had recently increased the pressure on Tunisia. At the beginning of June, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte were in Tunisia to negotiate a migration agreement.
Kais Saied (right) talks to Ursula von der Leyen and Giorgia Meloni (left) in the Presidential Palace in Tunis.
Von der Leyen had promised European aid of up to 900 million euros, as well as an additional 150 million euros in budget support. In addition, the EU wants to make 100 million euros available to Tunisia this year for border management and search and rescue operations.