This controversial migration agreement was made by the European Commission (President Von der Leyen), the EU Council (EU President Michel), and the EU countries (Dutch Prime Minister Rutte), entirely outside the European Parliament.
In a heated debate during a plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs from various political parties stated that the number of migrants entering Europe from the North African country has not decreased but increased since the agreement was signed in July.
“The agreement has only led to more repression, more deaths, and even more migration,” said Tineke Strik (GroenLinks). She also referred to the annual speech that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will deliver Wednesday in the same Strasbourg meeting hall.
“Also here tomorrow. Chair Von der Leyen will assert in strong terms that she fiercely defends democracy against autocracy,” Strik said, “but at the same time she will proudly strike dirty deals with a ruthless dictator.”
“Two months after the signing ceremony, we are not seeing many results yet,” added Jeroen Lenaers (CDA) of the European People’s Party (EPP). “Arrivals are still increasing, and in Tunisia, we see little development.” Manfred Weber, leader of the EPP group, also criticized that refugees are still crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe by boat.
The agreement includes €105 million of EU support to combat human smuggling from Tunisia and to improve border control. The plan also includes €600 million for strategic investments in the Tunisian economy.
MEPs also criticized the European Commission for not acknowledging evidence of mistreatment of migrants in the desert. In early August, 27 migrants were found dead on Libyan territory near the Tunisian border, days after Interior Minister Kamel Fekih admitted that small groups of migrants were being pushed back into the desert area bordering Libya and Algeria.
“We all remember the image of the corpse of a mother and her daughter in the desert, paid for with European money,” said Sophie in ’t Veld (ex-D66, now Volt) of Renew Europe.
Other members of the European Parliament defended the European Commission’s agreement as essential to support EU border management in light of high migration levels. “We need this cooperation. The agreement is essential to maintain strict control over EU borders, for our own security and for humanitarian reasons,” said Sara Skyttedal of the EPP.
The EU has said it wants the migration agreement with Tunisia to serve as a blueprint for similar agreements with other North African countries.