By Le Figaro with AFP
Published on 03/21/2023 at 13:00, updated on 03/21/2023 at 14:38
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Josep Borell at a press conference in Brussels, March 19, 2023. SIMON WOHLFAHRT / AFP
Tunisia on Tuesday dismissed “disproportionate” statements made by the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, who had worried about the situation in the country the day before and feared its “collapse”. This reaction comes as an EU delegation is expected in Tunisia on Tuesday to assess the situation in the country, which is facing a serious socio-economic crisis and where the opposition denounces a decline in rights and freedoms since President Kais Saied died took full power in July 2021. “The comments made are disproportionate, both in view of the resilience of the Tunisian people established throughout their history and in relation to a migratory threat to Europe coming from the south,” the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded in a press release .
“These selective remarks continue to ignore any responsibility (of the EU) for the situation that has prevailed in Tunisia and elsewhere, particularly since 2011 and up until July 25, 2021”, i.e. the period from the revolution that overthrew the dictatorship until to the coup President Kais Saied. After a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, Borrell warned that the situation in Tunisia was “very dangerous” and even mentioned the risk of a “collapse” of the state that could “cause migration flows to the EU and instability in Tunisia”. the MENA region” (Middle East and North Africa).
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Tunisia, with some stretches of coast less than 150km from the Italian island of Lampedusa, has seen very regular attempts by migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, to travel to Italy. According to official Italian figures, more than 32,000 migrants entered Italy illegally from Tunisia in 2022. Mr Saied had sparked an outcry in February by denouncing the presence in Tunisia of “hordes” of illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa and a “criminal ‘company’ which he says aims to transform his country’s demographics.
“Very seriously”
In addition, since February the authorities have arrested several opposition figures, ex-ministers, businessmen and the director of Tunisia’s most popular private radio station. These arrests come as Tunisia, in the midst of a severe financial crisis, has been negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for several months for a loan of almost two billion dollars: “The European Union cannot help an incompetent country to sign an agreement with the International Monetary Fund” , Borrell said. “President Kais Saied must sign with the IMF and implement the agreement, otherwise the situation for Tunisia will become very serious.”
The EU representation in Tunis announced in the morning that a European delegation, which Mr Borrell had announced on Monday, was expected in Tunisia from Tuesday. According to Mr Borrell, this mission “must make an assessment of the situation so that the EU can guide its actions”. Led by Gert Jan Koopman, Director-General for the Neighborhood, Johannes Luchner, Deputy Director-General for Migration, and Luigi Soreca, Special Envoy for the External Aspects of Migration, the EU says the delegation will meet several ministers during its stay.
“Discussions should focus, among other things, on the political and socio-economic situation in Tunisia and how the EU can best continue to support the Tunisian people in the current context,” said a press release from the EU delegation in Tunis. “The visit will also be an opportunity to discuss EU-Tunisia cooperation in the field of migration and to identify concrete opportunities for engagement,” the text added.