«Tunisia cannot under any circumstances act as a border guard for other countries,» said Interior Minister Kamel Feki. Quoted in a ministry press release, Feki stressed that the issue of irregular migration requires sacrifices and reciprocal concessions from the world's wealthiest nations. The minister took the opportunity to send a strong message to international NGOs, which he said were doing their utmost to manipulate the migration issue to serve the interests of Europeans, and reiterated Tunisia's firm position on defending its own borders and ensuring the application of its domestic laws. Feki made it clear that Tunisia could not absorb massive flows of irregular migrants beyond its social and financial capacities, nor could it continue to serve as a host country. "Tunisia has consistently expressed its dismay at the escalating irregular migration flows," he added, stressing that any effective anti-migration policy requires a broad global consensus on radical solutions that provide dignified living conditions for people from sub-Saharan countries.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse