Tunisia-Italy-Europe tripartite working session to slow down illegal migration

During a Tunisia-Italy-Europe tripartite working session held at the Carthage palace, the emphasis was also placed on the great efforts made by Tunisia in the fight against illegal migration, despite economic difficulties and relatively limited means, a statement of the Presidency reads.

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has warned that migrants arriving in Italy in an irregular manner “will be repatriated”.

The Italian FM stressed his country’s readiness to continue supporting Tunisia, welcoming the efforts made by Tunisia and the European Union in reducing migration flows to his country’s coasts.

European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, expressed the European Commission’s willingness to strengthen cooperation with Tunisia through the creation of new jobs and new professions for young Tunisians.

President Kaïs Saied stressed the need to conclude a comprehensive agreement with Italy in the field of mobility, consensual management of migration and solidarity development.

“This agreement should allow young Tunisians to move legally in Europe,” he added.

According to acting Foreign Affairs minister Selma Ennaifer, the Head of State, stressed Tunisia’s full determination to develop cooperation with all parties concerned to find solutions to the phenomenon of irregular migration.
President Saied considered it “essential” to combine all efforts to establish a comprehensive development approach that encourages migrants not to leave their country of origin.

“The security approach is not sufficient to combat irregular migration, since it is essentially a humanitarian problem,” he insisted.

The Euro-Italian delegation includes, in addition to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement, Italian Minister of the Interior, Luciana Lamorgese, and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson.

Also taking part were acting Minister of the Interior Hichem Mechichi and acting FM Affairs, Salma Ennaifer.

TunisianMonitorOnline

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