EU in talks with Tunisia, Libya to stem flow of illegal migrants

The European Union is working on a deal with Tunisia, offering economic help in return for more serious efforts to stop migrants attempting to reach Europe. Talks are already under way with Libya on a similar agreement.

No one knows how many people drown attempting to cross the Mediterranean. © AFP

Italy has demanded help from other EU nations in managing increasing numbers of migrants arriving on its shores, mostly from Tunisia and Libya.

The EU commissioner for home affairs, Ylva Johansson, told Italy's La Repubblica newspaper that Brussels is working on organising "a network of voluntary aid" this summer until a more permanent solution on sharing migrants can be agreed, but "we are also working to block the departures.

"I will be ... in Tunisia for a global agreement that, on the one hand will allow the country to recover from the severe economic crisis caused by coronavirus, on the other hand to provide it with the resources to fight human traffickers," Johansson told the paper.

#BREAKING EU official urges Morocco to prevent migrant crossings to Spain's Ceuta pic.twitter.com/lCknzT0n2p

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She added: "There will be European funds for the economy, investment and employment, while the Tunisian authorities will engage in managing the borders, to take back their citizens who have left for Europe, and to repatriate foreigners in their country who are not refugees."

She said the EU was also already talking with the Libyan government under Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah about a new agreement on migration from Libyan shores, adding: "I don't think we need to wait for December's elections."