The Ministry of Interior announced today the evacuation of illegal migrants from the border area between Libya and Tunisia. It explained that this came after proceeding with the implementation of the results of the visit of the Acting Interior Emad Trabelsi to Tunisia yesterday.
It will be recalled that last week Tunisia had started to roundup illegal migrants and sent them to the desert border with Libya. Several died in the barren area and the Libyan authorities, as well as international NGOs, rescued numerous stranded migrants.
The move is put to the worsening economic and political situation in Tunisia. As unemployment has increased, Tunisians are scapegoating illegal migrants. Tunisia is also claiming that these migrants came to Tunisia via Libya.
The ministry also confirmed in today’s statement that patrols of security agencies in charge of securing the border strip from both countries are carrying out their tasks with joint follow-up and coordination.
Today’s announcement by the Tripoli-based Libyan Interior Ministry comes on the back of yesterday’s visit by Acting Minister of Interior Major General Imad Trabelsi’s official working visit to Tunisia, accompanied by a high-ranking delegation.
The Interior Ministry reported that the Minister held a meeting with the Tunisian Minister of Interior, Kamal Al-Feki, in the presence of the delegations of the two countries, during which the file of joint security cooperation was discussed.
It reported that it was agreed to speed up work at the common border crossing at Ras Jedir and to facilitate entry procedures for citizens. Seeking a solution to the perennial problem of similarity of Libyan citizen’s names with the Tunisian authorities was aired, and a consensual solution was reached to end the problem of the presence of illegal immigrants in the border area between the two countries.
