Rights Groups Demand EU Stop Funding Tunisian Migration Control

Forty-six human rights and humanitarian organizations issued a joint statement on July 16 and 17, 2026, demanding that the European Union denounce human rights violations in Tunisia and halt funding for migration control. The groups argue that a 2023 Memorandum of Understanding has normalized atrocities committed by Tunisian security forces, including torture, sexualized violence, and arbitrary detention of migrants and asylum seekers.

Under the agreement, the EU provided EUR 105 million for border control, with at least EUR 65 million used to train and equip the Tunisian Coast Guard and the Tunisian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre. Critics assert the EU is complicit in these abuses, pointing to the February 2026 designation of Tunisia as a safe country of origin despite contrary evidence. The organizations also highlighted the suspension of UNHCR asylum activities since June 2024.

The joint statement links this cooperation to a broader crackdown on civil society and dissent led by President Kais Saied. Legal and humanitarian observers report that migrants face increasing barriers to housing and employment, while some describe their situation in Tunisia as an open-air prison.