TRIPOLI – Tunisian Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani called on European countries on Wednesday to increase financial assistance to help tackle the flow of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.
Tunisia has been grappling with protests by local residents and additional financial burdens due to the influx of migrants from other countries. These migrants hope to reach Europe by sea, often undertaking perilous journeys on dilapidated boats. Thousands of migrants are concentrated in southern Tunisian towns such as Amra and Jbeniana, fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East for a better life in Europe.
“More assistance must be provided to countries such as Tunisia. The aid provided is insufficient to address the problem,” Prime Minister Hachani stated at a migration conference in Tripoli. He emphasized that Tunisia is a victim country, straining its public finances to deal with the migration crisis, which adds to the government’s existing challenges. “There are towns that have absorbed migrants beyond their ability,” Hachani added, referring to Amra and Jbeniana.
In March, the European Union disbursed 150 million euros ($164 million) to Tunisia as part of a deal aimed at fighting illegal migration, providing budget support for financial stability and economic development.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba remarked at the conference, “There has been money spent for 10 or 50 years on this problem, and this problem has not been solved. This money must be spent there (in the countries of origin) and not in detention camps, whether in Libya or Europe.”
As of January 2024, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that there were over 706,000 migrants in Libya. However, Libyan Interior Minister Emad Trabulsi claimed that Libya was hosting 2.5 million refugees.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also addressed the conference, stating that the situation could not be resolved without addressing the root causes of migration in the countries of origin.