On June 20, the Italian Association for Legal Studies on Immigration (ASGI) announced that the Italian Council of State had suspended the transfer of patrol boats to Tunisia. This transfer, intended to strengthen the Tunisian National Guard, was the subject of protests from several associations.
At the end of May, a regional administrative court rejected the appeal of ASGI and other associations against this transfer. The first three patrol boats were to be delivered in June, but the associations appealed this decision to the Council of State, requesting a provisional suspension.
Lawyers Maria Teresa Brocchetto, Luce Bonzano, and Cristina Laura Cecchini, representing the ASGI legal team, noted that the United Nations had warned of the increased risk of illegal expulsions of migrants by providing patrol boats to Tunisian authorities.
The Lazio regional administrative court initially judged the agreement legitimate, in line with the decisions of the European Union and the memorandum of July 16, 2023, between the EU and Tunisia. He also confirmed Tunisia as a safe country of origin.
However, the decision of the Council of State to temporarily suspend the transfer of patrol boats marks an important turning point, according to ASGI.
