EU mulling military mission off Tunisia to fight smuggling: Borrell
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According to Josep Borrell, Brussels is not in need of funds but only permission to operate off the Tunisian coast.
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European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell arrives at the Europe Summit in Granada, Spain, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023 (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
According to EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell on Friday, the European Union is considering deploying its Mediterranean operation IRINI in Tunisian territorial seas to tackle "smuggling and illegal migration."
Borrell stated this on the eve of the EU leaders' informal meeting in Granada "IRINI has also the tasking of fighting against smugglers in order to provide information and in order to try to control the traffic of human beings. But for that, I need certainly the agreement of Tunisia because it has to be done on the territorial waters of Tunisia."
According to him, Brussels is not in need of funds but only permission to operate off the Tunisian coast.
Borrell explained an "association agreement with Tunisia," detailing that he planned to call for a meeting of the association council with Tunisia by the end of 2023 to "cooperate on everything."
Under the deal -- pushed strongly by EU member Italy -- Brussels has promised potentially hundreds of millions of euros in financial support for the government in Tunis.
Read more: Tunisia bars entry to EU lawmakers over migration deal criticism
Tunisia is a main hub for thousands of migrants seeking to make the risky sea crossing to Europe.
In July, Tunisia's Interior Minister Kamel Feki revealed that over the span of 6 months, more than 900 bodies of migrants attempting to reach the European Union by sea have been recovered off the coast of Tunisia.
Many of these migrants, mainly from Sub-Saharan Africa, attempt to reach Italy through Tunisia and Libya, and tragically, dozens of them have lost their lives at sea. The reports of migrant fatalities at sea have seen a significant increase in recent months.
In the period from January 1 to July 20, a total of 901 bodies were found, of which 26 were Tunisians, 267 were foreigners, and 608 remained unidentified, as per the Minister.
Dead, missing migrants in Mediterranean tripled this summer: UN
The United Nations has reported a tragic escalation in the number of migrants bound for Europe who have perished or gone missing in the Mediterranean this summer, revealing that it has tragically transformed into what UNICEF describes as a "cemetery," especially for children.
Between June and August, the Mediterranean claimed the lives of at least 990 individuals or left them unaccounted for while attempting the perilous journey from North Africa to Europe. In stark contrast, the same months in 2022 saw 334 deaths, according to UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund.
Nicola dell'Arciprete, UNICEF's country coordinator for Italy, disclosed that at least 289 children have lost their lives this year while attempting to make this hazardous crossing.
Moreover, there has been a significant increase in the number of unaccompanied minors among migrants arriving in Italy on makeshift vessels between January and September. Their count has surged by 60 percent compared to the same period in 2022, reaching a total of 11,600.
