Tunisia cannot deal with the issue of migration alone and solutions to this issue require concerted efforts between countries and organisations, said the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the United States of America in Tunisia, Natasha Franceschi. In a statement to TAP, Franceschi added that Tunisia is making great efforts to address the issue of migration, considering that the search for solutions to the migration issue requires an in-depth study of its causes. The US official said that many partner countries are making efforts to intervene and support the Tunisian authorities on the issue of migration, noting that the US government is aware of the need for concerted efforts by all parties and countries to address the root causes of migration. In another context, she acknowledged that the problem of irregular migration also exists in the United States and stressed her country’s commitment to supporting the efforts of organisations and the Tunisian government to address the root causes of migration. The statement by the charge d’affaires of the United States Embassy in Tunisia came on the sidelines of a meeting held at the embassy on Tuesday to announce the allocation of $4.45 million in US funding to help Tunisia provide emergency assistance to migrants. The new U.S. funding includes a $1 million U.S. voluntary contribution in urgent response to an emergency appeal by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to provide direct assistance to migrants in need in Tunisia. It also includes the provision of $3.45 million in funding to the IOM to strengthen access to justice and support Tunisia’s efforts in the area of migration. The US embassy in Tunisia said in a statement that the new funding comes in the context of supporting Tunisia’s efforts in the area of migration, noting that the United States had provided an aid package that included rescue boats. She pointed out that US economic development assistance aims to address the root economic causes of irregular migration of Tunisian citizens and supports sustainable economic growth to improve the overall economic well-being of Tunisians. According to the same source, programmes supported by the US government in partnership with the Tunisian government, the private sector, and civil society have contributed to the creation of more than 49,000 small businesses across the country, generating more than 56,000 new jobs and increasing sales by more than $610 million.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse