Tunis: Irregular migration is on the rise in the North and the South because of poverty and climate change» Prime Minister, Ahmed Hachani, said, on Wednesday, during his participation in the Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum held by the Libyan Government of National Unity, in Tripoli, on July 17.

Taking the floor, Hachani stressed the need to address the issue of migration economically and politically in the countries of origin of migrants and encourage investments there. He added that the issue of migration should be addressed collectively in countries of origin, countries of transit and countries of reception.

«The solution to irregular migration is not a European one. It should be tackled collectively.»

He pointed out that the number of irregular migrants has reached two million in the world within few days, noting that Tunisia, Libya and Algeria are the countries which are most exposed to irregular migration.

«Although the aid delivered to Tunisia was modest, it has made use of all the logistical an
d material means available to address the issue of irregular migration,» he underscored.

«Tunisia is proud to belong to the African continent and is committed, as a democratic country, to the primacy of the law and its application to all,» he underlined.

Hachani reiterated that «Tunisia has done everything in its power to ensure respect for the human rights of migrants.»

The Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum, which was held under chairmanship of Abdelhamid Dbaieba, was attended by delegations of heads of state, prime ministers as well as interior ministers from several African and European countries.

It was also attended by the vice president of the European Union delegation, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Malta’s PM Robert Abela, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby, a delegation of the Arab League, representatives of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, the High Commission for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration.

The Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum seeks to
find concrete solutions to the problem of irregular migration in the Mediterranean and reduce the flow of migrants through coordination between countries of origin and transit in the fields of development and security.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse