Cash-strapped Tunisia has willingly accepted to play the role of the policeman at the gate, in return for cash and for the silence of the EU regarding the harsh treatment reserved to migrants. The EU has offered to give Tunisia nearly 1 billion dollars in aid in return for stopping migrants. The MoU with the EU was also criticized by the Tunisian civil society and powerful unions. The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) said the MoU would transform Tunisia from European ‘border police’ to European ‘prison guard’. “Tunisian authorities have abused Black African foreigners, fuelled racist and xenophobic attitudes, and forcibly returned people fleeing by boat who risk serious harm in Tunisia,” said Lauren Seibert, refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 07, 2023 11:43 UTC