Italy, Tunisia agree to counter irregular migration in Mediterranean

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – Italy and Tunisia agreed to counter the flow of irregular migration in the Mediterranean, which led Italy to declare state of emergency earlier this week, local media reported on Thursday.

Rome and Tunis consider the fight against human smuggling to be fundamental, said Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani during a joint press conference with his visiting Tunisian counterpart Nabil Ammar, according to the public broadcaster RAI.

He said there are already cooperation agreements between the two countries, and these will be seriously implemented to address the growing problem.

Tajani, moreover, revealed that Italy favors more aid to Tunisia for the reforms the country will implement and will help it secure funds from IMF.

He also claimed that it is not the business of others to decide who would govern Tunisia.

“We are not colonizers," Tajani said.

Ammar, for his part, said: “Tunisia is willing to strengthen cooperation with all partners to combat human trafficking and to protect migrants. We are ready to do everything possible.”

He, however, stressed that medium- and long-term solutions are of economics.

“We need to rehabilitate our economy and are counting on Italy, an EU member,” Ammar said.

Italy declared a six-month state of emergency Tuesday to help it deal with a surge in the number of migrants arriving in the country via the Mediterranean Sea.

In recent weeks, Italy has seen a significant rise in the number of migrants and refugees arriving on its southern shores from North Africa, with over 3,000 coming in the last three days alone.

Frontex on Thursday remarked that the Central Mediterranean route became the most active illegal crossing route to the EU, with some 28,000 crossing in the first quarter of the year.

"Organised crime groups took advantage of better weather and political volatility in some countries of departure to try to smuggle as many migrants as possible across the Central Mediterranean from Tunisia and Libya,” it said.