A member of the Senate's foreign affairs committee on Thursday welcomed a new joint cooperation mission involving Italy and Tunisia's armed forces to combat illegal immigration to Europe from North Africa.
"The launch by the defence ministry lead by minister (Elizabetta) Trenta of the new bilateral cooperation mission in support of Tunisia's armed forces confirms the key role played by Italy in regional stabilisation and in controlling migrant flows," said Marinella Pacifico.
The bilateral mission was an "especially strategic" move after the recent military escalation in chaos-stricken Libya, "which made Tunisia a prime risk for terrorist infiltration and becoming new human trafficking route," Pacifico said.
The Mediterranean cooperation mission complements a series of economic cooperation accords that Italy's populist government signed with Tunisia in April, Pacifico noted.
High unemployment and a perceived lack of economic prospects among young Tunisians have been major drivers in a spike the number of boat migrants heading to Italy over the past two years.
