The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) will manage projects in Tunisia under the EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), ICMPD told Euractiv in Vienna.
“We expect that new projects will come soon as a consequence of the memorandum, but at the moment we focus on the current projects we have on the ground,” ICMPD’s project manager for Tunisia, Donya Smida, confirmed to Euractiv at the ICMPD migration conference taking place in Vienna (10-11 October).
ICMPD is an international organisation that has been working with 20 member states in Europe and for the EU and operates in about 90 countries worldwide, supporting the implementation of governments’ policies in the field of migration, for instance, in Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Mediterranean, Silk routes, Western Balkans and Turkey.
According to its website, part of the ICMPD’s funds from member states, the European Commission and the UN, of which it also has observer status.
The organisation has played a significant role in implementing a wide range of EU-funded projects and deals with third countries in the field of migration, some of which have been subject to high political pressure.
ICMPD received funding to assist with implementing some parts of the 2016 EU-Turkey deal to contain asylum seekers from Syria, ICMPD project manager for Turkey Tamer Kiliç told Euractiv.
In Turkey, ICMPD works on social integration of asylum seekers in the private sector and universities, training coast guards, facilitating voluntary returns, and managing labour and legal migration projects, Kiliç said.
The EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Tunisian President Kais Saied in mid-July. It presented an overall commitment by the EU to invest in different projects in Tunisia, for instance, to implement border management, and boost infrastructure such as submarine cable projects – in exchange for migrant control support from Tunis.
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ICMPD ongoing projects in Tunisia
The organisation already manages projects in Tunisia, focusing on governance, modernisation, the building of new infrastructure and professionalisation in the field of migration, Smida confirmed to Euractiv.
“We work with Tunisian authorities such as security forces involved in migration management,” the project manager said, adding that the ICMPD focuses on training authorities to improve their skills and knowledge on the matter.
For instance, the ICMPD is currently implementing the third phase of a project started in 2015 focusing on border management and providing guidelines through training.
“We will open a centre in the southwest city of Naftah [a Tunisian city close to the Algerian borders], together with the Tunisian ministry of finance, to organise training on customs on the 17 November,” the project manager said.
Another centre will be opened on 21 November in the northwest of the country, in partnership with the Tunisian interior ministry.
Another €13.5 million EU-funded project, started in January 2023, is called “Academy Building” and is co-implemented with the German federal police, Smida told Euractiv.
“The project focuses on building schools for coastguards,” the project manager explained.
While the funds covered by the EU-Tunisia deal should arrive in Tunisia before the end of the year, political tension between the EU and Tunisia might bring about a delay in the implementation.
In Autumn 2023, the Tunisian government postponed some meetings with EU authorities and prohibited a European Parliament delegation from entering the country.
Tensions increased on 2 October, when Saied declared the country would refuse EU funds that are “for charity”, in reference to a payment related to previously agreed funds.
Enlargement and Neighbourhood Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi publicly replied to Saied that Tunisia is free to “wire back” the €60 million just transferred – funds that were under an EU scheme of Covid-19 recovery support.
[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald]
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Source: euractiv.com
