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Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Tunisia on Sunday. There they meet President Kais Saied to discuss an agreement on migration. This deal is causing a stir. It continues.
A migration deal is on the menu on Sunday. Ultimately, the European Union wants to invest money in Tunisia in exchange for better border control.
Even a little money. Meanwhile, 150 million euros have already been transferred to Tunisia to implement economic reforms. A loan of 900 million euros could be added in the coming years, plus another 105 million euros to strengthen border security.
So more than a billion euros, but only if an agreement is reached.
According to the EU, this agreement is necessary because Tunisia is an important transit country for migrants. In recent months, the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean from the North African country has risen sharply. An agreement with Tunis should reduce this number.
Last week, the dangerousness of these crossings became clear again when the Tunisian coast guard discovered fifteen dead migrants. According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 2,000 people have died or gone missing this year while crossing from North Africa to Europe.
Although a lot of money is offered, Tunisia is not yet satisfied with the European offer. The vast majority of the money – namely: the €900 million loan – is tied to the conditions of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) reform package.
To comply with this reform package, Tunisia must reduce subsidies, for example for fuel. In addition, the country needs to privatize many public enterprises.
Tunisian President Saied does not like this. Reducing or even eliminating subsidies could lead to unrest in his country, Saied thinks.
Moreover, there is a lot of criticism within Europe against a migration agreement with Tunisia. This criticism comes from both human rights organizations and European politicians.
The criticism centers on sending money to a country where a president has undermined the rule of law for years. Since Saied took office, critics have been silenced, the constitution has been discarded and parliament has been dissolved.
“The EU should not participate in the erosion of democracy in Tunisia”, said MEP Matjaz Nemec (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats).
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