On 6 November 2019 representatives of the Foreign Ministries of Italy and Tunisia met in Rome to negotiate a “framework agreement on migration and development”, with the aim of reaching a concerted management of flows and consolidating collaboration on the return of migrants irregular Tunisians.
The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) denounces the pressure exerted by Italy on Tunisia to accelerate Tunisian citizens’ forced return process, which allegedly violates the essential principles of cooperation and the principles of the Tunisian Constitution. It therefore invites the government to respect its position to refuse forced returns, already declared by the Minister of Social Affairs in December 2018, and to suspend any negotiation with Italy that does not respect the rights of migrants. According to the latest report of the National Guarantor of the rights of persons detained or deprived of personal liberty, in 2018 alone Italy repatriated 2,323 Tunisian citizens, more than any other nationality.
