Rome: ITALY and Tunisia yesterday signed a new partnership agreement that notably calls for stronger joint action against illegal migration.
The deal, which also covers cooperation in the fields of culture, health, transport, energy and security, was signed in Rome by Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano and his Tunisian counterpart, Khemaies Jhinaoui.
It includes a framework accord on migratory fluxes. Alfano said the two countries were “working in harmony to stop the human traffickers in the central Mediterranean.”
Italy already has an agreement with Tunisia enabling it to deport nationals of the north African state who arrive as illegal immigrants or breach the terms of their visas.
Rome wants to accelerate the procedures involved in such cases, and pressure over this has increased because of Anis Amri, the Tunisian accused of attacking a Christmas market in Berlin on December 19.
More than half a million migrants have arrived in Italy via Mediterranean over the last three years, bulk of whom departed from Libya rather than neighbouring Tunisia.
