THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Forty-six human rights and humanitarian organisations say three years of EU-Tunisia migration cooperation has fuelled violence, torture and desert expulsions — and are demanding Brussels cut off support to Tunisian security forces.
Forty-six human rights and humanitarian organisations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and SOS Humanity, have called on the European Union to publicly condemn human rights violations in Tunisia and suspend funding for Tunisian security forces involved in migration control.
The joint statement, released to mark the third anniversary of the EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding signed on 16 July 2023, argues that the deal — struck to curb irregular crossings to Europe — has instead entrenched abuse.
The organisations cite documented cases of violent sea interceptions, arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence and collective expulsions of migrants to remote desert areas along the Algerian and Libyan borders, sometimes without food, water or medical care. In some cases, they say, the abuses have proved fatal.
Of the €105 million the EU has committed to the migration package, at least €65 million has gone towards training, equipment and vessels for Tunisia’s coast guard and border agencies, according to leaked EU documents. The European Commission maintains the funds are not paid directly to Tunisian authorities but channelled through implementing partners.
The statement highlights the particular toll on Black people, including sub-Saharan migrants, students and Tunisian nationals, following President Kais Saied’s 2023 remarks describing sub-Saharan migration as a “criminal plan” — comments that preceded a wave of racist violence and evictions. Tunisian authorities have also blocked UNHCR from registering new asylum-seekers since June 2024, leaving thousands without legal protection.
Despite this, the EU added Tunisia to its list of “safe countries of origin” in February 2026, a move UN experts and rights groups say contradicts the evidence on the ground. The EU’s Ombudsman and Court of Auditors have separately criticised Brussels for inadequate human rights oversight of the funding.
“The EU cannot pretend to champion human rights while deepening cooperation with Tunisian authorities responsible for crushing dissent and abusing migrants,” said Friederike Mager of Human Rights Watch.
The Commission says migration cooperation with Tunisia has been effective, pointing to a sharp drop in crossings since 2023 — though rights groups say that metric ignores the human cost.
Adira Kallo
