If the European Union genuinely wishes to tackle what it refers to as a ‘migration crisis,’ it must reconsider its approach to global trade relations.
The European Union’s response to the migration issue involving North Africa needs to go beyond military and border control measures. While the EU has intensified its surveillance and militarization of its southern sea borders to prevent people from crossing the Mediterranean, it has also sought cooperation from regional governments to curb migration flows.
In the case of Tunisia, the EU and Tunisian President Kaïs Saied signed a deal called the “Comprehensive Partnership Package,” where Tunisia would receive financial support of 255 million euros ($269 million) for equipment, training, and financial aid in exchange for stopping migration towards Europe. An additional 900 million euros ($953 million) could be provided if Tunisia agrees to structural economic reforms, including cuts to its food subsidy program.
However, the trade component of this deal is a cause for concern. The EU’s trade policies with Tunisia have been criticized for disadvantaging small and medium-sized enterprises in Tunisia. EU companies have flooded the Tunisian market with European products, making it difficult for Tunisian farmers and businesses to compete.
For example, the EU’s agricultural trade policies have led to difficulties for Tunisian farmers in selling products like watermelons, as the EU’s customs quota arrangements do not align with Tunisia’s production cycles. Additionally, in the olive oil trade, Tunisia exports a significant portion of its olive oil to Spain and Italy, where it is refined and sold to European consumers, resulting in lost added value for Tunisia.
The unequal economic exchange in agricultural trade relations has negatively impacted small-scale farmers and agricultural workers in Tunisia. Rising food prices, including the cost of olive oil, have made it increasingly unaffordable for ordinary Tunisians. Food represents a significant portion of household expenditures, particularly for low-income groups.
Furthermore, EU trade policies have pressured Tunisia to grow agricultural products for export to the EU, including water-intensive crops like citrus fruits and vegetables. This practice is unsustainable in a country facing extreme water stress, droughts, and wildfires.
Tunisian farmers are also grappling with the impacts of climate change, with rising temperatures and reduced precipitation. This has led to water scarcity and forced farmers to dig deeper wells to access groundwater, further exacerbating their challenges.
While the EU-Tunisia trade agreement aims to strengthen economic ties, it fails to address the underlying causes of migration. Unfair trade policies and unsustainable agricultural practices have contributed to the socioeconomic challenges faced by Tunisians in rural areas. The EU should reconsider its extractive trade policies and prioritize agreements that promote fair trade and sustainable development, rather than agreements that exacerbate precarity and migration pressures.