The new Belgian presidency of the EU wants to expand immigration-damaging ties with countries in Africa — following the bloc’s controversial deal with Tunisia last summer.
Their plans are part of a wider set of priorities, including efforts to “continue to develop a mutually beneficial partnership” between the European Union and African states. It says any such plans will fully comply with international law.
This is despite the fact that the Belgian government itself has ignored thousands of domestic court rulings favoring asylum seekers at home.
Nicole de Moor, Belgium’s immigration minister, late last year provided insight into the next six months as the country runs the EU presidency.
“The EU should, in my opinion, dare to look more broadly and work for comprehensive partnerships with various third countries that cover more than just migration,” he had said at an event in September organized by the European Policy Center , a think tank based in Brussels. .
De Moor had framed the EU’s deal with Tunisia as one that went beyond immigration, covering issues such as work, the green transition and education.
“What the deal is really about is helping Tunisia, a country with big problems, to build a complete state with economic opportunities for its own people and for immigrants,” he said.
But the deal also came on the back of thousands of people fleeing by boat from Tunisia to Italy, prompting Italy’s far-right government to secure an EU-approved plan to curb boardings.
Before the deal, Italy had declared a six-month state of emergency over sea arrivals from Tunisia and Libya.
More than 155,000 people arrived in Italy by sea last year — an increase from around 100,000 in 2022.
In a broader context, the figure of 155,000 represents 0.26 percent of the Italian population and 0.03 percent of the EU population.
But the push to secure more so-called partnerships under the Belgian presidency is also part of an EU calculation to help curb irregular migration to Italy and other EU states.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has already pledged to use the EU-Tunisia deal as a blueprint for future deals.
First Tunisia, now Egypt
This now also appears to include Egypt, which devalued its currency three times last year as it struggles with inflation.
In January, the Brussels executive intends to approve a statement with Cairo “on a strategic and comprehensive partnership”.
The declaration is an upgraded bilateral partnership that will likely include political and financial support for an abuse-ridden regime.
Human Rights Watch, an NGO, says such support puts the EU at further risk of complicity in abuses.
It also says any deal is expected to include hundreds of millions of euros in direct support and pave the way for 9 billion euros in loans from the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Migration is also a factor in light of earlier warnings by the UN Palestine aid agency UNRWA that Israel’s offensive on Gaza could force up to a million refugees across the border into Egypt.
The EU has already allocated 110 million euros in 2022 and 2023 for border management to Egypt, with the aim of strengthening maritime patrols and land surveillance on the western border with Libya.
And a €5m completion of a border project was due to be completed last month, with the remaining €82m in the first quarter of this year.
The EU is also sending a migration agent as part of its delegation in February, and is planning a so-called security and law enforcement dialogue with Egypt later this year.
As for Tunisia and its July deal, the European Commission praises the country’s coast guard for intercepting more than 73,000 people at sea last year.
It now plans to sign additional contracts on legal immigration in Tunisia, worth around €7.5 million, as well as multi-million euro socio-economic inclusion programs.
This pales in comparison to Tunisia’s upcoming anti-smuggling (€18m) and border management (€30m) contracts.