EU signs off €1bn deal with Tunisia to help stem irregular migration
The European Union and Tunisia have reached an agreement on migration. In exchange for hundreds of millions of euros, Tunisia will take measures to stop the clandestine crossing of migrants.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte accompanied President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to Tunisia after the trio's first visit a month ago, during which they proposed this partnership.
“This is an investment in our common prosperity, stability, and future generations,” Von der Leyen said on Sunday after signing the agreement.
According to Meloni, the partnership between Tunisia and the European Union "can be considered a model for the establishment of new relations with North Africa."
Rutte, for his part, felt that "the agreement will benefit both the European Union and the Tunisian people," as the EU is Tunisia's leading trading partner and investor.
Rutte and Meloni paved the way in the EU for the agreement. They stimulated the discussion about how to approach migration. Rutte was under pressure from his own VVD, Meloni (leader of the right-wing radical Fratelli d’Italia) because of the high influx of migrants to her country.
In addition to migration, they also made agreements on matters like energy and the economy. The EU invests money in, among other things, digitization, modernization of education, and sustainable energy projects in Tunisia, which is experiencing economic difficulties.
Brussels wants to reach agreements of this kind with more countries. The Tunisia deal should serve as a blueprint in this regard. In 2015, the EU concluded a less broad migration deal with Turkey.
Refugee, human rights groups very critical
The deal is controversial. The autocratic president Saied suppresses the opposition. There is also strong criticism of the treatment of migrants in Tunisia. Earlier this month, hundreds of migrants were sent to the desert on the border with Libya after disturbances in the city of Sfax.
The Refugee Foundation and Amnesty International are very critical of the migration deal between the EU and Tunisia. They fear the North African country will not respect the human rights of asylum seekers and migrants.
This is a historic development and not one of the good kind. The history books will tell. It is completely unbelievable that the human rights of asylum seekers and migrants will be respected in Tunisia, no matter how much money is involved. Closing these kinds of migration deals means breaking down the principle of international refugee protection.
Amnesty International thinks that people smugglers will particularly benefit from the deal. “As long as there are no legal migration routes, asylum seekers and migrants will continue to count on people smugglers."
Director of the Refugee Foundation also condemned
...this deal with a man who puts his opposition behind bars, calls for violence against migrants, makes life difficult for the media and aid organizations, and leaves people without water in the desert.