Tunisia requests additional deadline to analyze the memorandum of understanding with the European Union
Tunisia has postponed the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the European Union regarding the aid package, requesting more time to analyze the agreement, according to the Italian agency “Nova,” at a time when the bloc seeks to expedite the agreement with Tunisian authorities in order to curb the flow of migrants.
According to a European source, “the Tunisian side requested an additional deadline to study the text of the agreement, as is always the case in negotiations,” adding, “when there is sensitivity regarding a certain issue, we sometimes need more time. This is how we interpret this discussion,” according to the Italian agency.
The source added, “Some member states of the European Union requested linking the financial assistance to the agreement with the International Monetary Fund,” explaining, “We can finance a country that we also want to see reforms in. And I believe that the European Union’s approach is constructive in finding solutions, and we appreciate the work that has been done so far. It is not true that we are not making progress; we are just a few centimeters away from the solution, and that will be confirmed during the European Council.”
The signing of the memorandum of understanding on the comprehensive partnership package between the European Union and Tunisia was scheduled after the Eid al-Adha holiday.
European Union leaders in Brussels are considering reaching an agreement with Tunisia primarily aimed at combating migration and controlling smuggler networks, following two weeks after one of the worst boat sinking disasters of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea.
The European Commission had hoped to finalize a cooperation protocol with Tunisia for a “comprehensive partnership” before the continental summit, which includes an aspect related to migration. Brussels hopes to expand this type of cooperation in a later stage to include other countries in the Mediterranean region, but the talks with Tunisian authorities have taken longer than expected, and they are expected to continue on Monday after the Eid holiday.
The partnership, which includes enhancing economic and trade relations and cooperation in the field of clean energy, includes financial assistance exceeding one billion euros.
The offer was announced on June 11 during a visit to Tunisia by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
However, this financial support has angered some members of the continental bloc due to the exceptional measures announced by Tunisian President Kais Saied on July 25, 2021.
European assistance is partly linked to ongoing negotiations between the International Monetary Fund and Tunisia to grant the latter a conditional loan worth two billion dollars, but President Saied has repeatedly emphasized that Tunisia will not be Europe’s border guard and will not comply with the dictates of the Fund.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denied having asked the Tunisian president to play the role of “border policeman” to curb the flow of migrants towards European coasts.
The Tunisian president rejects the reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund, particularly those related to the restructuring of more than 100 debt-ridden public institutions and the lifting of government subsidies on some essential products. He refuses to accept any conditions that threaten the country’s civil peace.
The European proposal includes long-term financial assistance worth 900 million euros and immediate assistance of 150 million euros in the budget, in addition to a package of 105 million euros for managing migration in 2023.
The European Union intends to provide Tunisia with boats, mobile radars, cameras, and vehicles by late summer to help strengthen its border control on land and at sea. It also proposes enhancing cooperation in the fields of police and judiciary to combat smuggling networks, in addition to facilitating the return of Tunisians residing illegally in Europe to their homeland.
The European Union funds voluntary returns of migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa through Tunisia to their countries of origin. According to the European Commission, the bloc has funded 407 such operations so far this year.
Tunisia often experiences migration attempts by individuals predominantly from Sub-Saharan African countries heading towards Europe. Most of these individuals utilize the maritime route from Tunisian shores to the continent, taking advantage of the proximity that, in some points, does not exceed 150 kilometers between Tunisia and the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The Italian side has witnessed a significant increase in the number of undocumented migrants reaching its shores, with over 60,000 people arriving since the beginning of this year. This marks a 133% increase compared to the same period in 2022, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The Mediterranean Sea remains the deadliest migration route in the world, with over 20,000 people having lost their lives while attempting to cross it since 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
During the current month, two tragedies occurred during attempts by migrant boats to cross the Mediterranean. On June 14th, coast guards retrieved dozens of bodies after a boat carrying migrants sank off the Greek Peloponnese Peninsula. At least 82 bodies have been recovered, while hundreds are still reported missing.
A week later, the UNHCR announced that around 40 people were missing after a migrant boat capsized off the island of Lampedusa, having departed from Sfax, Tunisia.
These incidents have once again shed light on the criticism by non-governmental organizations of European migration policies, particularly the increasing restrictions imposed on migrants and the lack of “legal pathways for migration.”
Evelien van Roemburg, the director of the European Office for the organization Oxfam, considered the partnership with Tunisia as ineffective and criticized Europe’s attempts to shift its responsibilities in managing migration. She stated that “such agreements have proven to be ineffective.”
In 2016, the European Union controversially reached an agreement with Turkey regarding migration following a major refugee crisis on the continent.
The European Union also collaborates with the Libyan coast guard, which has faced repeated criticism from non-governmental organizations and the United Nations for the ill-treatment of intercepted migrants at sea and their forceful return to Libya.
