Joint statement by 46 human rights and humanitarian organizations:

On July 16, 2023, the European Union and Tunisia signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” on a “comprehensive strategic partnership”.

Three years later, the results are catastrophic: 

• The agreement failed to protect the rights of refugees and migrants.
• On the contrary, it has facilitated and normalized serious human rights violations.
• It has undermined the EU's influence in taking action against the deteriorating human rights situation in the country. 

Together with 45 other human rights and humanitarian organizations Terre des Hommes is therefore calling on the European Commission and EU member states to immediately suspend support for border and migration controls in Tunisia. In particular, cooperation with Tunisian security forces must be stopped immediately where they are responsible for serious human rights violations.

The declaration focuses on the following concerns:

• Ensuring effective human rights guarantees, transparency and independent control mechanisms in EU-funded migration cooperation;
• the concern that measures for border control and migration management have contributed to serious human rights violations against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants;
• compliance with the legal obligations of the EU and its Member States, in particular with regard to human rights, international refugee protection and the principle of non-refoulement;
• taking into account the increasing restrictions on the rule of law and civil society space in Tunisia;
• the need to align European migration partnerships more closely with human rights, accountability and safe legal pathways.