It is a similar story elsewhere in North Africa, where socio-economic conditions are driving young people to seek greener pastures in Europe. Predictably concerned, the European Union has been trying to shore up coast guard capabilities in Tunisia, Egypt and even in the more complicated case of Libya. Although showing more “flexibility” and willingness to attach less political strings, Europe and the US want Tunisia to reach a deal with the IMF before receiving economic help. Handling illegal migration through a security lens alone will harden authoritarian impulses in the southern tier of the Mediterranean and compound the socio-economic pressures at the root of the migration problem. There is a silver lining though: illegal migration could be the immediate issue that brings together the two shores of the Mediterranean.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 23, 2023 16:02 UTC