Leaders from the European Union (EU) are scheduled to meet with the Tunisian president to deliberate on a surge in attempted migration to Europe. Tunisian President, Kais Saied, however, stated that as a nation going through a financial crisis, Tunisia won’t act as the “border guard” for the EU. The delegation from the EU comprises of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. They will be in Tunisia to engage in talks about immigration and possible financial support with the country’s president. Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees disclosed that a majority of migrants recently registering in Italy came from Tunisia, a nation with a worsening economic crisis.
Beyond discussing increased cooperation between Tunisia and the EU on energy and economic issues, the primary focus of discussions will centre on the growing number of migrants attempting to enter the EU through irregular means. Most of the irregular entries into Italy came via Tunisia, according to the United Nations refugee agency. The high unemployment rate and stricken economic condition of the country are responsible for motivating several Tunisians to take the dangerous sea journey.
Ahead of the visit, Giorgia Meloni opined that the EU would offer aid to Tunisia to help alleviate the situation. She believes that destabilization in Tunisia would have serious consequences on the stability of all countries in Northern Africa, hence the need to support the country.
On Friday, the credit rating agency, Fitch, further downgraded Tunisian debt to “junk” territory. This aggravates the possibility of the country defaulting on its loans, which could lead to significant hardship for the nation’s population as state finances could collapse. However, Tunisia’s rescue package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been stalled for several months as Saied has refused to adopt the economic reforms that are part of its contingency plan, despite the appeals from Italy and donor nations. Saied has warned that the required economic measures, including blackouts of flour and fuel subsidies and significant cuts to the large public administration sector, would cause social upheaval. In the meantime, Meloni disclosed that the European delegation would bring a packet of security strategies that will pave the way for the IMF’s aid.
The EU recently agreed on stricter measures to curb “irregular migration,” which many critics believe is in violation of fundamental rights. The proposed legislation could face significant opposition at the European Parliament.
