Giorgia Meloni in Tunis, Von der Leyen Summit, Rutte and President Saied
Von der Leyen in Tunis: “100 million in aid to manage migrants”
The president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen said it without too many words: “With Tunisia it unites us much more than the geographical position, history unites us. It is in our common interest to strengthen relations and invest in the country’s stability and prosperity”.
In the joint statement with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Tunis after the meeting in the Presidential Palace of Carthage with Tunisian President Kais Saied, von der Leyen continued: “The EU and Tunisia have a broad interest in blocking the cynical activity of migrant smugglers. We will support Tunisia with 100 million euros” for the surveillance of maritime borders, but also for search and rescue, the fight against traffickers and repatriation”.
The control of migratory flows is the fourth pillar of the plan that von der Leyen outlined for bilateral relations between the EU and Tunisia. The goal of the plan, says von der Leyen, “is to support a holistic migration policy rooted in the respect for human rights. We both have an interest in breaking the cynical business model of human traffickers. It’s horrible to see how they deliberately put lives at risk, for profit. We will work together on an operational partnership against human trafficking and support Tunisia in border management.”
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