The NGO Tunisien pour les Droits Economiques et Sociaux (FTDES) has lashed out at EU migration policies in the southern Mediterranean and especially in Tunisia, as well as the Schengen visa system, in its first report on migration.
The report was curated by several experts that deal with issues such as mobility, visas, and the fight against human trafficking within the context of undocumented migration that has made Tunisia a bridge towards Europe.
According to Mohamed Limem, a researcher on migration policies for FTDES, EU countries ''do not respect migration rights because visas have become, for them, a tool for exclusion that integrates a lack of respect for human rights."
'Lack of legal framework fosters arbitrary violence'
''Investigations by FTDES into the shameful conditions of asylum seekers and refugees in different regions in Tunisia, in the centers in Medenine and Tunis, confirm unfortunately that lacking a legal framework, hundreds of Syrian and sub-Saharan refugees continue to suffer arbitrary and unacceptable violence,'' the report states.
During the presentation of the contents of the report at a press conference, participants also highlighted the importance of drawing up clear migration policies alongside the EU, stating that Tunisia should be able to manage migrants from Africa and not only protect the sea borders of the EU.