Three years on, 46 rights groups say the EU–Tunisia migration deal has normalised abuses
On the third anniversary of the memorandum of understanding signed in Tunis on 16 July 2023, 46 human rights and humanitarian organisations issued a joint statement saying the deal has fuelled and normalised serious violations. They put the money released for migration control at 105 million euros, of which at least 65 million has gone to training and equipping bodies including the coast guard and the maritime rescue coordination centre: the same bodies documented carrying out violent interceptions at sea, arbitrary detention, sexual violence and collective expulsions towards the Libyan and Algerian borders. The signatories want human rights, rather than interception figures, made the benchmark of the relationship, with real consequences attached; Brussels has so far kept the funding flowing and in February added Tunisia to its list of safe countries of origin.