(AFP) Italy’s top diplomat Luigi Di Maio discussed clandestine migration with Tunisian President Kais Saied on Tuesday, in his first visit to the North African country since the president’s July 25 power grab.
The foreign minister praised Tunisian efforts to stem the flow of irregular migrants, according to a statement on the presidency’s website.
Saied pointed out “the limits of traditional policies in managing the phenomenon of clandestine migration.”
He called for new strategies to encourage “regular migration according to mechanisms that respect the rights of migrants.”
Italy is a key entry point to the European Union for migrants from across Africa, with tens of thousands boarding rickety boats each year from Libyan or Tunisian shores in search of better lives in Europe.
