Lamberts is one of many criticising the agreement, which will provide cash to Tunis in exchange for stronger border controls, based on several human rights concerns.

“The Tunisian agreement, it won’t work,” he said.

“The EU is trampling on its own stated values which preach human rights and dignity.”

Along with the agreement with Tunisia, the EU will continue its flow of funding and assets to the so-called Libyan Coast Guard.

“Don’t tell me that the Libyan Coast Guard is anything other than an armed gang.”

The agreement has set aside over €700 million in bloc funds to help Tunisia stabilise its economy, manage migration, and boost renewable energy. The agreement further includes the possibility of an additional €900 million in macro-financial assistance.

€105 million will be allocated by the memorandum to combat anti-smuggling operations, reinforce border management, and speed up the return of the asylum-seekers whose applications are denied.

But, it has stirred widespread controversy.

The European Parliament, along with civil society organisations have lambasted this deal due to known human rights abuses said to be committed under the Tunisian leadership of President Kais Saied. 

Saied has been public about his racist opinions of sub-Saharan migrants.

Human Rights Watch even published a report detailing alleged violent abuse that Tunisian law enforcement committed against black  Africans. This includes alleged beatings, torture, arbitrary arrests, financial theft, and more. 

Beyond this, the European Commission has acknowledged an indication that the Libyan Coast Guard is being infiltrated by criminal groups.

Yet, the Commission went ahead with the signature of the memorandum, arguing that it’s essential to establish a closer partnership with a country that acts as a gateway for floods of migrants who attempt to enter the EU, mainly through Italy, and request asylum.

Moreover, when asked whether the New Pact on Migration and Asylum is effective, Lamberts simply and concisely said “nope”.

The pact is designed to attempt to manage and normalise migration for the long term through a set of regulations and policies.

Beyond migration, Lamberts stated that “we [the EU] are not practicing what we preach.”

The most blatant contradiction, he said, was the 2003 invasion of Iraq as an ally of the United States.

“These things are causing a loss in credibility within the EU because we now have to condemn in Ukraine what we were doing in 2003 to a sovereign country. Yes, it was dictatorial, but the EU is not above international law.”

Do you think that the EU-Tunisia migration agreement is hypocritical?