Shaaban Bilal (Tunisia, Cairo)
Joint Tunisian-European measures were unable to prevent waves of illegal migration across the Mediterranean for thousands of families, youth and children from African countries, dreaming of living in Europe, but its pace has become less during the recent period. Political experts and analysts disagreed about the extent of the success of the Tunisian-European partnership that was recently signed between the two sides. Some of them believe that this cooperation resulted in a decrease in the frequency of waves, while others believe that the agreement did not succeed, and that the work of the joint committees responsible for its implementation stopped. Tunisia is a starting point. For illegal immigration boats across the Mediterranean, while Italy and its islands, and Greece and its islands, constitute the main arrival points.
Tunisian political analyst Munther Thabet said that the illegal immigration crisis through Tunisia has begun to decline during the recent period after the efforts made in cooperation with the European Union countries, which are the most affected by these waves.
Thabet explained, in a statement to Al-Ittihad, that there was a temporary success as a result of the agreement concluded between Tunisia and the European Union, noting that the arrival of immigrants from African countries has become less than from Tunisia, in addition to the fact that the legal status of immigrants already present has been settled. He stressed that the numbers confirm that there is a decrease in the number of irregular migrants heading to Europe by 20%, explaining that the security option was not the final solution to the problem of irregular migration, but the situation required cooperation and partnership to reduce the phenomenon.
Despite this, Tunisian political analyst Nizar Jlidi considered that Tunisia cannot be a border guard for Europe, and that its efforts are primarily aimed at protecting its borders and not protecting the borders of others.
Al-Jalidi said, in a statement to Al-Ittihad, that the agreement with the European Union, in its broad outlines, represents a danger to Tunisia. Because it puts it in confrontation with African immigration on the one hand, and those wishing to emigrate among its youth and children whose situations have not been settled after spending long years in Europe on the other hand, indicating that there are many dictates that Tunisia cannot accept.
For his part, the head of the Free Tunisia Forum, Hazem Al-Kasouri, called for the European Union to accelerate measures to support Tunisia in confronting the waves of illegal immigration that affect European security. Al-Qosuri explained, in a statement to Al-Ittihad, that Tunisia is not the cause of this crisis, but the economic and political conditions and external interference in African countries, especially in the Sahel and Sahara region, are behind this crisis, indicating the need for the European side to deal positively within the framework of a true partnership. With Tunisia.
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