Algerian-Tunisian Security Meeting Targets Smuggling and Illegal Migration

The Algerian and Tunisian delegations during a meeting to address the risks at the borders. (Algerian Ministry of Interior)
The Algerian and Tunisian delegations during a meeting to address the risks at the borders. (Algerian Ministry of Interior)
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Algerian-Tunisian Security Meeting Targets Smuggling and Illegal Migration

The Algerian and Tunisian delegations during a meeting to address the risks at the borders. (Algerian Ministry of Interior)
The Algerian and Tunisian delegations during a meeting to address the risks at the borders. (Algerian Ministry of Interior)

The first session of the bilateral commission for the promotion and development of the Algerian-Tunisian border regions kicked off Monday in Algiers to discuss a strategy to develop shared border regions of the two North African nations.

Co-chaired by Algerian Interior Minister Brahim Merad and his Tunisian counterpart Kamel Feki, the session unfolded with a commitment to fortifying shared border areas in the face of armed individuals, smugglers, and illegal migration.

Addressing the session's opening, Merad highlighted the focus on realizing partnership opportunities and maximizing available potential in the border area.

He emphasized the establishment of a bilateral cooperation mechanism as a tangible outcome of what he termed "fruitful cooperation on all levels."

The minister pointed to discussions in 2021 between Presidents Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Kais Saied, where issues related to border region development and the mitigation of threats were extensively deliberated.

The Algerian minister underscored the ongoing efforts directed at implementing diverse development programs, with a strategic objective to alleviate disparities and address imbalances in the border regions.

Merad detailed government-launched initiatives for development projects in the border region, emphasizing the need to enhance conditions for travelers at the joint nine border crossings, which serve as active trading hubs.

Also, he called for reinforced epidemiological monitoring along the border to address new pandemics and ensure preparedness against emerging security challenges, particularly in the context of illegal migration.

The minister expressed anticipation that the meetings, attended by governors from southern states, would yield applicable recommendations that prioritize the aspirations and demands of residents in the southern region, ultimately contributing to economic and social development.

Of particular concern to Algeria is the smuggling of large quantities of subsidized gasoline to Tunisia, where its price is three times less.

Carnegie Middle East Center revealed in a study published in 2020 that “from the perspective of local authorities, smuggling functions as a safety valve that relieves some of the economic pressure felt by the inhabitants of Algeria’s neglected eastern provinces.” Moreover, smugglers enhance the security services’ efforts to keep the dreaded triple threat of drugs, weapons, and militants at bay.

“For communities of the borderlands, smuggling contraband into and out of Tunisia presents one of the precious few job opportunities in a region otherwise characterized by unemployment. The activity takes place on such a large scale that it has created a parallel illegal economy,” the Center confirmed.

“The products smuggled from Algeria into Tunisia include gasoline, livestock (especially sheep), auto parts, copper, electronics manufactured by the Algerian brand Condor, perfume, cosmetics, yogurt, powdered milk, and potatoes.”

The study revealed that a gasoline smuggler earns between $150 and $300 per day - and this activity accounts for 75 percent of the economic activity in the region.

“Were the state to clamp down on smugglers, borderland communities would feel even more alienated and might grow restive,” the Center noted, adding that “such smugglers might fall prey to the enticements of jihadis—who they have thus far shunned—and take up work transporting them and their weapons back and forth across the border.”



Fishers at a Lebanese Port Hope Ceasefire with Israel Means Normal Life is Returning

Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
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Fishers at a Lebanese Port Hope Ceasefire with Israel Means Normal Life is Returning

Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah brought hope for normality back to many in southern Lebanon on Friday, including fishermen who have long launched their single-engine wooden boats into the Mediterranean at dawn.
During the last two months of its year fighting Hezbollah, Israel imposed a siege on southern Lebanon that kept hundreds of fishers at this ancient Phoenician port on shore, upending their lives and the industry.
While less important than destruction and displacement, the port siege cut many people off from the key ingredients for traditional Lebanese dishes like sayadiyeh — fish and rice boiled in fish sauce — or fried and grilled fish eaten with dips such as hummus and tabbouleh or fattoush salads.
The loss of fish damaged a deep association with home, but now the possibility of renewed Lebanese fishing on the country's southern coast is helping fuel hope for a brighter future.
On Friday, a few boats went out close to the shore as fishers in the port worked on the nets of small boats painted white, blue or red.
Hussein Sukmani, 55, said Friday that he was considering going to sea in coming days but was waiting to see how things unfold.
He hasn't dared set sail since the Israel-Hezbollah war dramatically intensified on Sept. 23. “They were days of fear and horror,” he said. "They were the most difficult days of our lives.”
A week ago, a drone strike killed two young fishers in the city as they prepared their nets on the coast, and some fishermen said Friday that the Lebanese army told them that if they headed out it would be at their own risk .
Among those who sailed near the coast on Friday was Walid Darwish, who returned to the port with two plastic boxes filled with mullet.
“Today is the first time that we sail,” Darwish said, adding that fishers had missed the prime season in October and November.
“We lost it,” he said.
The Israeli army barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the border in October and has not said whether the warning is still in effect.
Sukmani said that most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the port have not sailed out of concern since then.
The area around the port is a predominantly Christian neighborhood that has been spared much of the airstrikes on other parts of Tyre that leveled buildings in this city.
In peaceful times, the port is a major tourist attraction, beloved by Lebanese and foreigners who come for the views, the restaurants and the beaches.
On Friday, Mohammed Hammoud walked along the coast of Tyre carrying his fishing rod.
“It is enough that someone is able to stand in this beautiful area,” he said, pointing to the white sands. “Fishing is everything for me,” added Hammoud, who went to fish several times in the area north of the city of Sidon that was not part of the siege.
In the old market of Tyre, Gilbert Spiridon watched from inside his shop as people came to buy freshly brought fish. Before the war, it took hours to sell all his fish to people from around Lebanon.
“All I wish is that the war has ended and we are back on track to the old good days,” he said.