On Wednesday, August 28, the Italian authorities delivered the first three patrol boats of a series of six vessels intended to strengthen the maritime surveillance capabilities of the Tunisian National Guard.
This delivery is part of a memorandum of understanding signed in December 2023 between the Ministries of the Interior of the two countries. The Italian government has allocated 4.8 million euros for the restoration and transfer of these warships.
The handover ceremony took place at the port of Marina di Gammarth, in the presence of the Italian ambassador to Tunis, Alexander Prunas, and senior Tunisian officials, including the Secretary of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Sofiane Ben Sadek says.
Beyond the simple supply of equipment, this agreement also includes a significant training component. The Italian Financial Police will be responsible for supporting the Tunisian authorities in training crews, managing the fleet and optimizing its use.
This enhanced cooperation comes in a particular context. Last June, Tunisia officially established its Search and Rescue Zone (SAR), a decision long awaited by Italy. This measure aims to improve the coordination of sea rescue operations and better manage migratory flows.
However, the project has not been without its obstacles. In June 2024, a court ruling temporarily suspended the delivery of the ships, following an appeal filed by non-governmental organizations. The latter expressed concerns about the safety of migrants in Tunisia. The Italian Council of State finally lifted the suspension on July 4, allowing the agreement to go ahead.
This Italian-Tunisian collaboration raises complex questions about the balance between border management and human rights protection. While authorities in both countries are highlighting improvements in maritime security, migrant rights advocates remain vigilant about the impact of these measures on people seeking international protection.
While Tunisian political leaders have insisted that the country will not serve as the EU’s border guard, the security assistance and related investments remain attractive to the administration. The attractiveness stems not just from the chance to expand the capabilities of the security apparatus, but from the fact that security assistance is often tied to other forms of economic assistance Tunisia desperately needs.
While this cooperation reflects the ongoing externalization of the EU’s border security to North African countries, the hardware, training, and investment in Tunisia’s security apparatus will likely continue to bring Tunisia to the table with the EU as the migration challenge evolves.
At present, tension with European and Tunisian NGOs has largely been contained, particularly in Tunisia where civil society activists have remained on the defensive for months in the face of arrests and legal actions. While coordinated legal and social pressure from civil society could theoretically disrupt Tunisia’s expanding security partnership with Italy, this appears unlikely in the short-term.
The current Tunisian administration will likely continue cooperating with the EU to contain illegal migrants flows in order to gain international legitimacy and economic support.
Meanwhile, in 2014, the Tunisian National Guard and Navy took delivery of 12 patrol boats donated by the Italian government in its attempt to curb the flow of immigrants from North Africa.
The boats are being supplied in terms of an inter-governmental deal signed in April 2011 in which the Italian government pledged to build and supply patrol boats to Tunisia for use in border control and anti-immigration patrols. This followed a massive influx of African immigrants landing on Italian shores after launching from Tunisian ports.
In terms of the deal, Italy is supplying six P270TN patrol boats for the Tunisian Navy and six P350TNs for the National Guard, all of them built by Cantiere Naval Vittoria (CNV) in Adria.
This August, the United States State Department approved a significant sale of 65-foot Archangel boats to Tunisia.
On August 20, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the proposed sale. The Tunisian government had requested additional non-MDE (Major Defense Equipment) 65-foot SAFE Archangel boats, along with related articles and services.