Tunisia is asking European countries to step up their financial help to deal with the growing number of migrants coming from other parts of Africa. This request comes as Tunisia struggles to handle the many people arriving in hopes of crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe.
Ahmed Hachani, Tunisia’s Prime Minister, spoke at a meeting about migration in Tripoli, Libya. He said that the money Europe is giving now isn’t enough to solve the problem. Hachani explained that Tunisia is spending a lot of its own money to deal with migrants, which is hard because the country already has other money problems.
The situation is especially tough in some towns in southern Tunisia, like Amra and Jbeniana. These places have many migrants now, more than they can easily take care of. Many of these people have left their homes because of poverty or fighting in other parts of Africa and the Middle East. They hope to find a better life in Europe, even though the trip across the sea can be very dangerous.
Tunisia’s leader said his country is a victim in this situation. The country is using up its public money trying to handle all the migrants. This is making things harder for a government that was already dealing with other big problems.
In March, the European Union gave Tunisia 150 million euros (about $164 million) to help with money issues and the economy. This was part of a plan to try to stop illegal migration. But it seems this money isn’t enough to deal with all the problems.
At the same meeting, Libya’s Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba, talked about how money has been spent on this problem for many years, but it still hasn’t been fixed. He thinks the money should be used in the countries where migrants come from, not just on places to keep migrants in Libya or Europe.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that in January 2024, there were more than 706,000 migrants in Libya. But Libya’s Interior Minister, Emad Trabulsi, said the number is even bigger – about 2.5 million refugees in the country.
Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, also spoke at the meeting. She said that to really fix this problem, we need to deal with the reasons why people leave their home countries in the first place.
This situation shows how hard it is to handle migration in this part of the world. Countries like Tunisia and Libya are caught in the middle. They have many migrants coming through their land, trying to get to Europe. But these countries don’t have enough money or resources to take care of all these people.
The problem is complex because it involves many different countries. The migrants come from various places in Africa and the Middle East. They travel through North African countries like Tunisia and Libya. And their goal is to reach European countries. This means that solving the problem needs all these different places to work together.
Tunisia’s call for more help shows that the current efforts aren’t enough. The country is struggling to balance taking care of migrants with its own economic problems. This is a common issue for many countries that migrants pass through on their way to somewhere else.
The situation also highlights the dangers that migrants face. Many risk their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in boats that aren’t safe. This has led to many tragic deaths at sea over the years.
European countries are trying to find ways to stop people from making these dangerous trips. But as Tunisia’s Prime Minister pointed out, the current efforts aren’t working well enough. His call for more help suggests that without additional support, the situation might get worse.
This migration crisis is likely to remain a big issue for both North African and European countries in the coming years. Finding a solution that works for everyone – the migrants, the countries they pass through, and the places they want to go – will be a big challenge. It will probably need more money, better cooperation between countries, and new ideas about how to help people in the places they come from.