The agreement signed between three European leaders and Tunisia on restricting the flow of refugees and migrant workers to Europe will have an impact on numbers, said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Monday.
Rutte, European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were in Tunisia on Sunday to sign the deal with Tunisian President Kais Saied.
“This deal is important because we are trying to end the smugglers’ business model of sending people on a dangerous trip over the Mediterranean sea in small boats. If you succeed in getting that under control, then it will have an impact here,” said Rutte as reported by Dutch News nl. news portal.
He said checks would be in place to make sure that Tunisia does not contravene human rights legislation when putting the agreement into practice.
“All the agreements we make about boat crossings and sending back people to safe countries must happen within the scope of international treaties,” he said.
Human rights organisations have slammed the agreement, noted Dutch News nl.
Meanwhile, a senior EU official told journalists in Brussels today that the EU will give EUR 105 million (USD 117 million) to Tunisia in support to anti-smuggling, returns of illegal migrants and border management.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the EU will also start to identify, design and disburse EUR 150 million (USD 168 million) in support for Tunisia’s budget.
Source: Kuwait News Agency