Shaaban Bilal (Tunisia, Cairo)
The Tunisian maritime border guard thwarted 13 illegal immigration operations from the Tunisian coast towards the opposite bank of the Mediterranean.
The Tunisian Guard explained, in a statement yesterday evening, that units of the Tunisian Border Guard arrested 188 illegal immigrants, in addition to seizing a number of iron boats and engines intended for use in illegal immigration operations.
Despite the great efforts made by Tunisia with the European Union countries to confront illegal immigration flows, the waves are still continuing from several African countries to Europe across the Mediterranean, which represents a challenge to the Tunisian internal situation at the economic and social levels, according to experts and specialists.
Political analyst Munther Thabet explained that Tunisia is doing its best to confront waves of illegal immigration, and has succeeded in dismantling human trafficking networks, pointing out that this crisis is complex and multilateral and requires financial and investment measures and international cooperation.
Thabet said in a statement to Al-Ittihad, “The decision of the Nigerian authorities, for example, which considers illegal immigration not criminal, gives a green light for the continuation of the crisis, and such a decision represents additional pressure in Tunisia, represented by shelter, nutrition, health, and security aspects.
The Tunisian political analyst stated that there is a significant reduction in the waves of migration towards Europe, with the recognition of countries such as Italy, and that the Tunisian authorities succeeded in preventing 80,000 irregular migrants from reaching the southern borders of the old continent, stressing that the crisis requires an international conference in which responsibilities are shared in the presence of southern countries. Sahara, North Africa, Europe.
A few days ago, Tunisia reached an agreement with the European Union on a support program worth 150 million euros within the framework of the memorandum of understanding on the strategic and comprehensive partnership, which includes 5 axes related to illegal immigration, supporting economic stability, strengthening trade relations, energy transition, rapprochement between peoples, immigration and mobility. .
Political analyst Nizar Al-Jlidi said that the economic and social situation makes Tunisia a major gateway for immigration and a transit area from Africa to Europe, in addition to the fact that Europe itself has not yet understood that the security solution is not the only one and that there is a necessity for development policies.
Al-Jalidi explained in a statement to Al-Ittihad that the year 2023 is the largest year in illegal immigration from Africa to Europe across the Mediterranean for political reasons, in addition to economic and social factors.
Irregular migration constituted an unprecedented surge from the Tunisian coast in 2023, as about 90,000 sub-Saharan migrants flocked to Tunisia in an unprecedented manner across its eastern and western borders.
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