Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar called on the European Union for “solidarity” in the fight against illegal immigration, as his country recorded attempts by migrants from sub-Saharan Africa to leave for Italy.
Minister Ammar’s statement was made today, Thursday, during his meeting with European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.
It is noteworthy that Tunisia – parts of its coast are less than 150 km from the Italian island of Lampedusa – regularly records attempts by immigrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, to illegally travel towards Italian coasts.
The Tunisian minister emphasized “the nature of the strategic relationship that binds Tunisia to the European Union and the importance of European support for our country in advancing its economic and social reforms and setting the path for an inclusive and equitable development within the partnership. on the basis of the principle of mutual respect and solidarity to solve common problems, including the phenomenon of migration”.
He stressed Tunisia’s position calling for “the adoption of an integrated and multifaceted approach to combat this phenomenon based on a balance between economic and social development.”
The EU statement said that Johansson’s talks will focus “primarily on the joint fight against smuggling of migrants in order to contribute to the prevention of illegal migration.”
Source: AFP.
