Tunisia has been granted a pound 25.8 million funding as part of the cooperation with France in addressing irregular migration, announced French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. Speaking at a press conference held on Monday in Tunis with his German counterpart Nancy Faeser, the French Minister specified that this funding is in addition to the pound 100 million announced by the European Commission to support Tunisia's efforts in addressing irregular migration. This support will enable the acquisition of necessary equipment and the organisation of relevant training for security forces and border guards to assist Tunisia in effectively managing the flow of irregular migrants. 'We all know that Tunisia is the first victim of this phenomenon, which requires the efforts of all parties involved to address it,' he said. In the same context, Gérald Darmanin emphasised the imperative of 'energetically combating smuggling networks that take advantage of global disorder, regional crises, and climate disruptions' to facilitate the risky irregular crossings of thousands of individuals. According to the French Minister, the European approach to combating irregular migration is based on prevention of migratory flows, providing assistance to individuals crossing the Mediterranean, and supporting their return and reintegration into their countries of origin. Security cooperation is important for both countries, and the question is how to assist Tunisia in preventing irregular migration flows that primarily arrive on Tunisian territory, he noted. The French and German Ministers arrived in Tunis on Sunday for a visit focused on the issue of irregular migration. The objective of this visit is to strengthen cooperation between Tunisia and the European Union in the fight against irregular migration. During this visit, the two ministers held discussions on Monday with President Kais Saied and Interior Minister Kamel Feki.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse