On June 26, the Italian Foreign Minister announced that the European Union (EU) is about to sign an important aid agreement for Tunisia, while the European Council (EC) called on Rome to radically change its policy towards migrants.
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| Tunisian national coast guard helps a migrant get off a rescue boat in Jebeniana, Sfax, Tunisia. (Source: Reuters) |
At the EU Foreign Ministers' meeting in Luxembourg, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the EU will sign an important aid agreement for Tunisia on June 27.
The aid package was signed amid concerns that the African nation's refusal to accept the terms of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout could fuel a massive influx of migrants to Italy.
“The good news is that on 27 June, EU Commissioner (for Neighbourhood and Enlargement) Olivér Várhelyi will sign an agreement on an aid package for Tunisia to combat human trafficking,” said Tajani, expressing hope that the aid package will be worth more than €105 million.
Meanwhile, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said the union would send economic aid to Tunisia on condition that the country treated migrants with respect.
“We will provide aid to Tunisia but they will have to respect the demands for decent treatment of migrants and respect for human rights ,” Borrell stressed.
Tunisia has been criticised for its mistreatment of migrants amid growing political and economic turmoil in the country, leading to a request for an IMF bailout. However, Tunisian President Kais Saied has sparked controversy by refusing to implement reforms needed to receive the bailout.
On the same day, speaking after a working trip to Italy, the European Council (EC)'s Human Rights Commissioner, Dunja Mijatovic, called on Rome to "radically change its policy towards migrants", especially regarding rescue at sea and agreements with migrant origin countries such as Tunisia and Libya to prevent illegal migration.
Ms Mijatovic cited new rules introduced by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier this year on private vessels conducting search and rescue operations in the central Mediterranean, effectively limiting the ability of NGOs to save lives at sea.
On the other hand, the EC representative also praised the humanity that the people and the Mayor of the Italian island of Lampedusa have shown to migrants as an example for everyone. The EC's human rights commissioner emphasized that the way the people of this small island located between North Africa and Europe continue to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees and migrants is an example that should be replicated.
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