Tunisia-Hichem Mechichi:Tunisia will not be a land of asylum

Prime Minister and interim minister of Interior, Hichem Mechichi, took part in Lisbon, this Tuesday, May 11, 2021, in the activities of the Euro-African meeting on migration.

Mr Hichem Mechichi delivered a speech on this occasion, in which he underscored that the re-emergence of conflict zones, social unrest, the exacerbation of the disparity in development between the northern and southern coasts of the Mediterranean and the destructive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to the rise of a new international reality marked by the phenomenon of clandestine and illegal immigration.

He further estimated that Tunisia believes in the necessity to understand immigration within the framework of a global approach, because it should not be regarded as a constant threat, but rather as a determinant of economic, social and cultural development and a positive factor in bringing people together.

He explained that the management of migration should not be restricted to the security aspect, but must be learned, through the logic of partnership by tackling the heart causes of this phenomenon, in special social exclusion, marginalization and lack of perspectives.

The PM further remarked that Tunisia has taken into account the security aspects of legal, coordinated and planned migration, as well as the dimensions linked to vocational training and the development of solidarity in the nations of the region.

He pointed out that Tunisia is committed to the implementation of a global strategy directed at gradually subduing this phenomenon.

According to Mechichi, Tunisia refuses the set up of “accommodation centres” on its soil for foreign immigrants going to Europe and is not at all ready to accept nationals of other countries.

Furthermore, he said that Tunisia opposes any intervention by its forces in operations that affect its national sovereignty and given the significance of the Global Compact on Migration and Asylum adopted in 2018, Tunisia has always called for a consistent and inspiring approach to its migration policy at the national level.

In this regard, Mr Hichem stressed the need to continue the 5 + 5 dialogue started at the level of the countries bordering the Mediterranean to determine appropriate solutions to all the components of this question, namely: security, economic, social and cultural.

The Head of Government concluded that this high-level meeting is a suitable framework to expand our political dialogue, both African and European, to achieve greater management of migratory flows and mobility in a spirit of true cooperation and responsibility shared between the two shores of the Mediterranean.