Tunisia: Italy, Albania Reach Migrant Deal as Carthage Balks at EU Assistance
Summary:
On 6 November 2023, Albania and Italy reached an agreement under which Italy will move irregular migrants to Albania while their asylum applications are under review, sparking additional controversy over European Union (EU) efforts to push management of the migration issue outside of its borders.
Under the deal, which followed a meeting in Rome between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Italy will build and manage two centers in Albania with capacity to house up to 3,000 migrants. Albania will be responsible for deportations should Italy deny migrants asylum.
The agreement comes as some progress has been made toward implementing an economic and security assistance deal reached in July between Tunisia and the European Commission. However, public disagreements between Tunisian and EU leaders over the details of implementation, as well as growing EU concerns about the protection of migrants has raised questions about how full implementation will proceed.
Outlook:
Italy has continued to take a leading role in pressing for both economic and security assistance to Tunisia and other countries from which irregular migrants are embarking for Europe. As the primary recipient of irregular migrant arrivals, Italy has faced rising domestic frustration about the influx of irregular migrants.
As the debate over how the deal will protect the human rights of irregular migrants in Tunisia has continued, Italy has been a leading advocate for providing assistance with fewer strings attached. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has indicated that Italy remains interested in offering Tunisia more economic assistance that is not linked to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan deal – a factor to which most other benefactors have held fast.
As discussions over implementation of the assistance deal drag on, Italy will likely continue to unilaterally pursue additional options to address the irregular migration challenge.
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