During his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Carthage, Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed delivered a direct message on migration and Palestinian rights, condemning both the exploitation of migrants and the “crimes of occupation” in Gaza.
On Thursday, July 31, 2025, President Saïed hosted Prime Minister Meloni at the Carthage Palace. While the meeting confirmed a mutual desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas like energy, agriculture, health, and transport, migration issues dominated the discussions, with the Tunisian side adopting a particularly forthright tone.
President Saïed reiterated his strong opposition to Tunisia becoming “a transit or reception hub” for irregular migrants. He condemned the criminal networks that exploit these individuals, sometimes endangering their physical safety. Emphasizing the need for air bridges for voluntary repatriation, he stated that Tunisia had acted “humanely” during the dismantling of several migrant camps. “No state can tolerate people living outside its legal framework,” he asserted, accusing the international order of hypocrisy for leaving Southern countries to manage a crisis with global roots.
Beyond bilateral matters, the Tunisian president also strongly condemned what he described as “genocidal crimes” committed by “Zionist occupation forces” in Gaza. He accused Israel of waging a war of extermination against the Palestinian people, starving them and depriving them of water. Saïed highlighted the collapse of international legitimacy in the face of an “emerging human legitimacy,” which he sees embodied by global grassroots support for the Palestinian cause.
He reaffirmed Tunisia’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to establish an independent state across the entirety of Palestinian territory, with Al-Quds as its capital. He urged the international community not to forget or allow this right to erode, regardless of the current balance of power.
MK/ac/lb/abj/APA