Tunisia-Luigi Di Maio: Tunisian migrants arriving in Italy will be deported starting Monday

Italy wants to be firm on the arrival of Tunisian migrants on its shores. Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio announced the establishment of repatriation operations as of August 10.

Tunisian migrants arriving in Italy aboard boats “will be repatriated” from August 10, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio warned during an interview in Rome on Thursday evening, AFP reported

Asked how Italy plans to deal with the influx of migrants from Tunisia, he replied: “We are working to stop the departures. Tunisian citizens who arrive in Italy will be repatriated, because for us, Tunisia is a safe country in which we can invest (…) but it is not a country at war or a place of persecution. And therefore on August 10, repatriation operations will begin with 80 repatriations per week.

The dialogue is open (with Tunis), I myself do not exclude going to Tunisia in the coming days. Our goal is a new agreement with Tunisia on migration and on development cooperation that will allow Tunisia to give more work opportunities to its citizens. But at the same time we are waiting for maximum collaboration to block those who organize these trips, ”he stressed.