Tunisia Holds Talks on Illegal Migration with French and German Interior Ministers

Tunisian Interior Minister Kamel Feki poses with his counterparts Gerald Darmanin (L) of France and Nancy Faeser (R) of Germany in Tunis following their meeting on June 19, 2023

Africa News

Tunis, the Tunisian capital, welcomed France and Germany's Interior ministers on Sunday, who are on a diplomatic visit to strengthen security cooperation and tackle illegal immigration.

Ministers Gérald Darmanin and Nancy Faeser, who were received by their Tunisian counterpart Kamel Feki, want to deepen security cooperation with Tunisia, in areas that include information sharing and cooperation between [intelligence] services. 

This will help to combat what they described in a joint statement as a "scourge that affects all"(the three countries, France Germany and Tunisia).

With migrant departures from Tunisian shores having risen sharply since the beginning of 2023, the EU and its member states are seeking ways to control the phenomenon more effectively. Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited the Tunisian capital and announced that Tunisia would receive 100 million euros in aid for border control, search and rescue. The funding is part of a wider plan that could see investment of up to 900 million euros.

Several Tunisian civil society and political leaders have criticized some of the outcomes of these visits. They accuse Tunisian officials of aligning with European interests instead of finding a more "holistic approach to the migration crisis". 

As such, many observers in the country will be paying attention to the talks, particularly during the French and German ministers' meeting with Tunisian President Kais Saied on Monday.