Immigration: Italy and Tunisia pledge more cooperation

The Italian Interior Minister met his counterpart in Tunisia to discuss the issue of immigration and security.

During the discussions, the Tunisian Interior Minister, stressed that “more than 500 people accused of human smuggling have been arrested this year”.

The Tunisian President says “the friendship and close collaboration between Italy and Tunisia are a great resource”.

And Matteo Salvini says the visit shows a deep friendship between the two countries.

“We’ve agreed on a more effective fight against human trafficking. For departures; for the limit; and the number of deaths and repatriations. Having a limited and qualified controlled immigration will be an added value for our country and for those migrants from Tunisia as well as from other countries ”

The Tunisian President says in a statement, “challenges that threaten the stability of Mediterranean countries and which hinder their development efforts. require a closer coordination and closer cooperation to overcome them”.

Italy’s Interior Minister and Deputy PM Matteo Salvini, who is paying a working visit to Tunisia, Thursday said his country is endeavouring to put a halt to irregular migration from Tunisian coasts and open up new prospects for legal migration.

The Italian government will increase investments in Tunisia to eliminate the causes of illegal migration, he said.

Italy wants to be Tunisia’s first economic partner in a wide array of fields, Matteo Salvini also said as he held a joint news conference with Interior Minister Hichem Fourati.

Italy is keen to develop legal migration pathways, make new investments and generate jobs in southern Tunisia, in particular. The high unemployment rate in Tunisia is the driving force behind irregular migration, Salvini emphasised.

Matteo Salvini said making sure that migrants do not perish at sea and ending human trafficking is a right and a duty. Regulating migration will bring added value in bilateral relations, he underlined.

The framework for returning illegal immigrants to their countries quickly and under good conditions will be improved, he said.

TunisianMonitorOnline

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