A report presented in Tunis by Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) and other associations disputes the inclusion of Tunisia in the list of “safe countries of origin” of Italy.
Martina Costa, of Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF), declared that the concept of “security” existing in Tunisia was a myth and spoke in favor of the removal of this North African country from the list of countries of safe origin from Italy.
Costa made the remarks as part of a joint report published on the occasion of International Migrants Day which states that “the inclusion of Tunisia in the Italian list of” safe countries of origin “has consequences for the way in which the asylum requests of Tunisian citizens are examined.”
Being on the Italian list of safe countries virtually nullifies the right of asylum of any Tunisian national, according to the report, and therefore legitimizes deportations, expulsions, and defilements against Tunisians.
“(The use of the concept of ‘security’ to justify the establishment of accelerated procedures for the examination of asylum applications implies not only a lowering of the procedural guarantees essential to preserve the quality of the asylum procedure but ignores also the specific situations of various Tunisian asylum seekers ”, quoted Costa in the report.
Costa added: “Not only is the concept of ‘safe country of origin’ incompatible with the spirit of the right to asylum, but the current situation in Tunisia does not appear to present the essential ‘security’ conditions to meet this qualification.”
Costa argued on behalf of ASF that the Italian government should “drop the notion of ‘safe country of origin’ which essentially nullifies the right to asylum,” adding that each case should be assessed on its own merits, regardless. from the country of origin.
“Tunisia is a country which does not ensure the fundamental guarantees in terms of the protection of human rights in accordance with the provisions of European legislation” and that “the exploitation of the concept of a safe country, aimed at migratory management, ends by endangering the safety of migrants”.
Tunisia remains the country to which Italy carries out the largest number of repatriation operations, with 1,997 Tunisians expelled in 2020 and 1,655 so far in 2021.
