The Diplomat
The European Union will allocate 255 million euros to Tunisia in 2023 within the framework of the agreement signed last Sunday to strengthen cooperation with the aim of curbing irregular migration to Europe. The agreement includes, among other aspects, the strengthening of border controls and the hardening of the fight against human trafficking.
Of the total funds mobilized to strengthen the fight against smuggling, return and border management, the EU will allocate an additional 105 million euros, thus doubling the item planned for Tunisia, reported community sources. Within this framework, the activity of smugglers and human traffickers will be combated, border management will be strengthened to prevent irregular departures, promoting legal migration routes.
Regarding the return of migrants, the EU will strengthen cooperation to help the Tunisian authorities to relocate irregular migrants who remain in the country to their places of origin and the return of Tunisian migrants irregularly in Europe to return to Tunisia.
Apart from this specific help to manage the migration issue, the EU mobilizes another 150 million in budget support and “works intensively with the Tunisian authorities to spend it in the best possible way.”
The EU funds will be distributed mainly through agencies such as the Red Cross, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the Organization for Migration that work on the ground to provide opportunities for refugees and resettlers.
