French PM Fillon: France to propose to Tunisia association agreement with EU in return for taking back nationals
02 Apr 2011 | Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
French PM Fillon: France to propose to Tunisia association agreement with EU in return for taking back nationals
TUNIS — France is to propose to Tunisia an association agreement with the European Union (EU) in return for "a set of commitments" in relation to Tunisia’s repatriating its nationals whose immigration wave affected Italy.
"We will propose to Tunisia an association with the EU in exchange for a number of commitments, including that of taking back on its territory its illegal immigrants," French Premier François Fillon said, in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera, on Saturday.
"I would voice, before anything else, France’s total solidarity with Italy as regards the migration tides that resulted from the south Mediterranean revolutions," Mr. Fillon said.
Italy accused in recent weeks the EU, and France in particular, of lack of solidarity in managing the migration crisis.
More than 22,000 people arrived on its territory since the beginning of the year.
Assurances made by Mr. Fillon come after Italy’s announcement to open hosting centres close to the borders for the immigrants wishing to head for France or Germany and also to grant them residence permits.
The European Commission condemned on Friday control set by France in the border zone with Italy in order to intercept Tunisian immigrants.
Since the beginning of the year and President Ben Ali’s fall, some 20,000 Tunisians arrived in Italy, especially in southern island of Lampedusa, compared with last year’s total of 4,000 migrants.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is to visit Tunisia next Monday, will examine with the Interim Government this file of illegal immigration.
Italian ANSA News Agency reports that PM Berlusconi had said, on Friday, that a final decision would be taken on this issue of illegal immigration, after his meeting with the Tunisian authorities, adding that "repatriation is the key solution for all of us."
Italy’s Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, member of the anti-immigrant Northern League Party, said, on Friday, during a meeting with the press, that Rome is expecting two things from Tunis: "repatriation and blocking of departure" from Tunisian coasts.
"We will go to Tunis to convince, if necessary force, Tunisia to meet its commitments," notably by dissuading candidates to emigration from leaving, Mr. Maroni said.
