EU signs agreement with Tunisia to fight illegal migration

July 17, 2023 Elwin Mandowa

The European Union has signed a deal with Tunisia to strategically fight illegal migration.

Tunisia has become the main departure point for migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

Announcing the deal in Tunis, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised increased cooperation on border management and search and rescue operations.

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni said it was an important step towards creating a true partnership in tackling what she called “the migration crisis”.

Dutch Prime Minister Rutte said the new pact with Tunisia had all “essential measures” to boost efforts against irregular migration.

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“It contains agreements on disrupting the business model of people smugglers and human traffickers, strengthening border control and improving registration and return,” he wrote on Twitter.

Members of the European parliament have called for the deal to be conditional on respect for democracy and the rule of law in Tunisia, where President Saïed dissolved parliament in 2021 and has re-written the constitution.

In recent months black Africans in Tunisia have suffered waves of racist violence, It follows controversial comments from President Saïed, that there was a conspiracy to change the Arab-Muslim country’s demographics.

On Friday, Italy’s Ministry of the Interior announced that more than 75,000 migrants had arrived on its shores by boat so far in 2023 . This is more than double the 31,900 who arrived during that same period in 2022.