Tunisia calls out Borrell for calling country 'dangerous' for Europe
Unemployment and rising inflation continue to ravage the country which has left many fleeing toward Europe, but the North African country is now conducting talks with the International Monetary Fund for a $2-billion bailout to save itself.
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Tunisian President Kais Saied with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, at the Carthage Palace in Tunisia on September 10, 2021 (AFP)
Tunisia called out European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday for his "overblown" concerns of a near economic or social failure after he stated that if Tunisia "collapses economically or socially then we will be in a situation where new flows of migrants will come to Europe".
Tunisia's foreign ministry denounced his comments as "overblown, both in view of the well-established resilience of the Tunisian people throughout its history and in view of the threat of migration to Europe from the south".
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According to an EU statement, a delegation was due to visit Tunisia on Tuesday to look into "the political and socio-economic situation" and resolve the matter of abnormal migration levels after suffering political turmoil for over a decade.
Saied points blame to Sub-Saharan Africans
Unemployment and rising inflation continue to ravage the country which has left many fleeing toward Europe, but the North African country is now conducting talks with the International Monetary Fund for a $2-billion bailout to save itself.
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Some European leaders, namely Italy's far-right government led by Giorgia Meloni, have shown concerns mirroring that of Borrell's, regarding the flow of migration.
Tunisian president Kais Saied blamed in February the "hordes of illegal migrants from sub-Saharan Africa" for a surge in crime and claimed that a "criminal plot" was being planned to alter the country's demographic makeup.
Following the controversial comment, the World Bank suspended any loans or lending to Tunisia which left a load of pressure on the IMF to not approve the bailout amount. "We cannot turn a blind eye to what's happened," Borrell expressed.
Saied said Tunisians must rely on their capabilities to overcome the difficulties in the country. He confirmed on Monday that his country rejects all forms of interference in the country's affairs because it is not under mandate or protection.
He added, "It is necessary for Tunisians to rely on their own capabilities to overcome the difficulties," confirming that "Tunisia rejects any dictations of solutions from abroad," commenting, "It is us who [are entitled to] devise solutions."
