The head of the Italian government, Giorgia Melonireturns this Sunday to Tunisiaafter the lightning visit last Tuesday, this time accompanied by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyenand the Dutch Prime Minister, mark ruttein search of a migration agreement Given the rise in departures to Europe due to the Central Mediterranean.
Tunisian President Kaïs Saied –who on Saturday made a media visit to sub-Saharan migrants in the coastal city of Sfax, a hot spot on the migration route– will meet with the three European leaders to discuss “a cooperation agreement on the economy, energy and migration” , advanced the Commission.
“We are all Africans. These immigrants are our brothers and we respect them, but the situation in Tunisia is not normal and we must put an end to this problem,” said Saied, warning that the Tunisian state cannot make “border guard from other countries”.
The situation of the sub-Saharan community -estimated at 60,000 people with between 10% and 15% in an irregular situation- has worsened since the Tunisian president accused them of being part of a plot to change their “Arab-Muslim” identity. , a factor that according to humanitarian organizations encouraged departures by sea and make Tunisia an “unsafe country”.
Agreement on asylum
Within the European framework, the Twenty-seven reached an agreement this week to reform the asylum rules, which requires distribute refugee quotas throughout the community block and opens the option not to relocate immigrants and pay instead 20,000 euros per person to a fund administered by Brussels.
The Dutch prime minister said before this visit that his hopes were pinned on a pact between the European Union and Tunisia to reduce the number of refugees crossing the Mediterranean by allowing their claims to be processed in the North African country.
In March, Rutte and Meloni opted to promote refugee accommodation agreements with third African countries.
Against the backdrop in Tunisia, the $1.9 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to alleviate the country from the serious financial and economic crisis that it is dragging in exchange for a package of reforms to reduce public spending that the Tunisian president, who assumed full powers in 2021, has refused to apply.
economic stabilization
While the IMF asks for guarantees, Meloni defends the delivery of a first tranche of credit to contribute to the economic stabilization of the North African country with the aim of containing migratory flows.
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Global credit rating agency Fitch downgraded Tunisia’s rating to CCC- from CCC+ on Friday reflecting “uncertainty” “to mobilize sufficient funds to meet its extensive funding requirement.”
According to the Italian Foreign Ministry, during the first five months nearly 50,000 people arrived on its shores – 155% more than during the same period last year – of which more than half left from Tunisia while the Tunisian coast guard intercepted a total of 23,000 migrants.