France to offer Tunisia $28million to tackle migration influx to Europe

Last week, EC President Ursula von der Leyen was in Tunis with proposed of $967 million aid package

Tunisian President Kais Saied, centre, addresses guests including French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser at the Presidential Palace in Carthage. AP

France will offer Tunisia €25.8 million ($28.2 million) to help it to tackle the migration crisis in the southern Mediterranean region, French Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin said in Tunis on Monday.

The money will pay to train and equip national guards to prevent boats from reaching Europe, as Tunisia faces a rise in migrant departures from its coasts.

The interior ministers of France and Germany arrived in Tunis on Sunday in the latest visit by European leaders to discuss the Mediterranean migration crisis with Tunisian officials.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and Mr Darmanin met with their Tunisian counterpart Kamel Feki on Monday and held talks with President Kais Saied at the Presidential Palace in Carthage that afternoon.

European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen visited Tunisia on June 11 and offered Tunisia a €900 million ($967 million) financial assistance package that included €100 million for border control, search and rescue for migrants at sea, countering human trafficking and migration-related issues.

She was accompanied by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni.

Several Tunisian civil society and political leaders have criticised the outcomes of these visits and accused Tunisian officials of aligning with European interests.

Mr Saied denied these, saying: “The solution should not be at the expense of the Tunisian state.

“We cannot play the role of gatekeepers to other countries' borders, nor will we accept the settlement of immigrants on our territories,” Mr Saied told the visiting ministers.

"Security solutions are necessary, but they have led to a further aggravation of the situation.

"Current solutions must be based on a new approach and a new mindset."