On Sunday 16 July, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, alongside the President of Tunisia, Kaïs Saied have agreed to implement the comprehensive partnership package announced jointly on 11 June 2023.

The comprehensive partnership covers the following areas:

• Strengthening economic and trade ties
• A sustainable and competitive energy partnership
• Migration
• People-to-people contacts

Concerning migration, the Commission stated that "the fight against irregular migration to and from Tunisia and the prevention of loss of life at sea, is a common priority, including fighting against smugglers and human traffickers, strengthening border management, registration and return in full respect of human rights". The EU is allocating around €105 million for migration management, including the fight against “irregular departures”, the return of foreigners in Tunisia to their countries of origin, returns of Tunisians without permission to remain currently staying in the EU, and support for the Tunisian coastguard with new equipment for search and rescue activities. 

Concerning people-to-people contacts, the Commission underlined that "this strand of work will encompass stronger cooperation on research, education, and culture, as well as developing Talent Partnerships, opening up new opportunities for skills development and mobility, especially for youth". The agreement outlined the creation of a new visa programme for Tunisian citizens to come and work in the EU under the so-called ‘Talent Partnership’, to promote legal ‘skilled’ migration. A Tunisia window will also be opened in the Erasmus + programme. In practice, this will consist of 300 places for Tunisians coming into Belgium, France and Germany in 2023 and “maybe” another 700 in 2024 to the same countries. 

The implementation of these initiatives will be discussed in the third quarter of 2023, the Commission official said, and an EU-Tunisia Association Council will take place before the end of the year.

As a political agreement, the memorandum will have to be endorsed by national governments. “That is normally done by unanimity,” the Commission official explained.

Several international organizations denounce, in a press release, the inhuman and degrading treatment of sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia. In this regard, they express concern about the fact that "the European Union intends to impose on Tunisia the externalisation of border controls and migration management". They are worried that the EU makes "Tunisia the EU’s border guard, responsible for containing “undesirable” migration and keeping it as far away from European territory as possible, in exchange for substantial and timely financial aid". In another press release, Amnesty International stresses that "the EU/Tunisia agreement on migration makes EU complicit in abuses against asylum seekers, refugees and migrants".

For further information, please read the press release from the Commission as well as other related articles, inter alia from Euractiv or TV5 Monde.