Migration Crisis : European Union Fine-tunes Strategies

Since the start of this year, the fight against illegal immigration through the Mediterranean Sea has taken a different twist. Not only because of the influx of immigrants into Europe, but because of the determination of the European Union to stamp out the phenomenon. After several fruitless accords in the past, the 27 members of the EU have decided to change strategies by carrying out individual negotiations with each of the actors involved. On July 16, 2023 the EU and Tunisia signed a memorandum of understanding in Tunis in the presence of EU Commission head, Ursula von der Leyen, President Kais Saied, heads of government of Italy Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Mark Rutte, for a “comprehensive strategic partnership", which also concerns the country's economic development and renewable energies. The agreement, which according to Giorgia Meloni must serve as a basis for ongoing negotiations with other countries in the region, is part of the overall reform of European policy on migration and asylum, underway since the fall. 2020. 
On the migratory aspect, it provides a European aid package of 105 million euros intended to prevent the departure of migrant boats to the EU from the Tunisian coasts and to fight against smugglers. It also facilitates the return of Tunisians who are in an irregular situation in the EU, as well as the return from Tunisia to their countries of origin of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. While European countries like Italy wanted to be able to send migrants back to Tunisia who had simply transited through that country, Tunis authorities made it clear that it does not want “to be a country of settlement for irregular migrants.” T...