Tunisian President rejects becoming Europe’s border guard for illegal migrants

The president of Tunisia does not want his country to become the border guard for other countries. That is what President Kais Saied says a few hours before he meets European leaders about migration. This is reported by Reuters news agency.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte, President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will appear in Tunis today. They want to make agreements with the North African country to stop illegal migrants.

During a visit to the port city of Sfax, from where many people undertake the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe, the president said that the solution must not come at the expense of Tunisia.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte hoped in advance that agreements could be made with Tunisia in the short term. This should put an end to the illegal crossing of asylum seekers and other migrants, Rutte said on Friday. He hopes that an important step can be taken today, but does not expect an all-encompassing agreement.

Economically weak Tunisia must be won over with trade agreements and financial support. If the economy falls further into the doldrums, European countries fear that the influx of migrants will only increase.