The Tunisian government has refused entry to the country to a mission of five members of the European Parliament's Foreign Policy Committee (EP), media reported, referring to a letter from the Tunisian authorities to the EP.
"This delegation will not be allowed to enter the territory of the country," the document says. The reasons for this decision are reportedly not clarified.
As the media noted, citing sources in the EP, the reason for the refusal of entry may be a press conference held by Members of the EP in July. During this event, the deputies from the left and liberal factions criticized the Tunisian authorities on allegations of non-observance of human rights.
In July, von der Leyen announced that the EU would allocate 100 million euros to Tunisia to combat illegal migration in light of the signing of a strategic partnership agreement amid the ongoing migration crisis.
On July 16, a memorandum of understanding in the field of strategic and comprehensive partnership was signed between the EU and the North African state. It includes measures to strengthen trade and economic relations, establish cooperation in the field of sustainable and competitive energy, manage migration processes.
According to international organizations, the route from the Tunisian coast towards the EU has been one of the most frequent routes for illegal migrants in the Mediterranean for several years.
The refusal of entry to members of the EP mission may become a problem for the head of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen, who promoted the agreement with Tunisia as a model for interaction with neighboring states, the outlet noted.
As a result of the actions of the Tunisian authorities, the signing of the memorandum was criticized by a number of fractions of the EP, as well as the German government, the media reported. EP member from Germany Michael Gahler, who was supposed to lead the delegation to Tunisia, for instance, criticized the agreement with the African country, saying that it was due only to short-term concerns and did not include structural measures, the media reported.
In addition, the vice-chairman of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the EP, Pedro Marques, called Tunisia's decision "outrageous" and called on von der Leyen to abandon the agreement with Tunisia on migrants, the media said.