The European Union is beginning to allocate money to Tunisia for measures to curb the flow of migrants. An agreement on this was adopted back in the summer.
It was signed by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of Tunisia, Said Kais, in the presence of the prime ministers of Italy and the Netherlands, tells BB.LV.
In total, Tunisia will receive 127 million euros. Half of this amount will be used to prevent arrivals in EU illegal migrants, and will also include the repair and re-equipment of Tunisian coast guard vessels.
The other half of the money is intended to protect migrants, in cooperation with the UN refugee agency, and return them to their countries of origin, in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration.
While everyone should be happy, the deal with Tunisia has raised concerns among non-governmental organizations, which have reported mistreatment of migrants and their “expulsion into the desert.”
The remittance process, agreed upon in the summer, has accelerated following the mass arrival of migrants in Lampedusa and last week’s visit to the Italian island by Ursula von der Leyen. The EC President promised prompt assistance, including in the fight against smugglers smuggling migrants across the Mediterranean Sea.
Some EU member states complained that they were not invited to participate in negotiations with Tunisia. However, Brussels intends to build relations with Egypt and Morocco on this model.
We previously told you that in Italy applicants for refugee status will have to post bail in the amount of 5000 euros, and the UK getting ready to ship refugees and illegal immigrants to Rwanda.
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