The EU Says Tunisia Is Safe — That’s a Dangerous Lie

In the EU’s latest performance of political theater, Tunisia — a country actively jailing its opposition, silencing journalists, and sentencing critics to 66 years in prison — has been declared “safe.” Not for its own citizens, mind you. Just safe enough to send desperate migrants back to. 

The European Commission’s new “safe countries of origin” list, announced on April 16, gives member states the green light to fast-track deportations. If you’re from Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, or a handful of other countries, your asylum claim can now be rubber-stamped into oblivion. No deep review. No real consideration. Just a cold, bureaucratic: Sorry, your country is fine. Bye. 

It’s a stunning bit of doublethink. At the exact moment Tunisia is making headlines for a mass show trial — one the United Nations has called politically motivated and legally flawed — the EU has decided it’s safe enough for refugee returns. Around 40 critics of President Kais Saied were convicted of “terrorism” and “conspiracy,” in proceedings so opaque and biased that international observers didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Sentences ranged from 13 to 66 years. Some of those convicted aren’t even in the country — they were sentenced in absentia, because authoritarianism in 2025 doesn’t even need your presence to punish you. 

The EU claims these designations help speed up migration processing and reduce pressure on overwhelmed systems. What they’re actually doing is outsourcing moral responsibility. Rather than fix their asylum system or confront the root causes of migration, EU leaders are choosing to pretend — willfully — that political repression doesn’t exist as long as it’s happening outside their borders. 

And here’s where it gets even more surreal: Tunisia was once hailed as the lone success story of the Arab Spring. But since 2021, President Saied has been busy dismantling its democratic institutions, dissolving parliament, rewriting the constitution, and jailing critics under vague “national security” laws. The judiciary is no longer independent. The press is cornered. Civil society is shrinking by the day. 

Yet in Brussels, officials nod solemnly and stamp “SAFE” across the folder. 

Meanwhile, one of Tunisia’s most respected defense lawyers, 70-year-old Ahmed Souab, has now been charged with terrorism — for criticizing the court. This is where we are: speaking out is criminal, defending someone is suspicious, and seeking asylum is a gamble the EU no longer wants to deal with. 

Washington has every reason to care. Tunisia has long been a key player in American regional strategy — geographically important, politically symbolic, and once a partner in democratic reform. But lately, the US has been too quiet. Aid is still flowing. The rhetoric is cautious. The values — democracy, rule of law, free speech — are blurred when the partner starts acting like a police state. 

The EU’s decision puts American credibility on the line, too. If American allies can declare authoritarian regimes “safe” in broad daylight, and the US says nothing, what exactly is it leading anymore? 

This isn’t just about Tunisia. It’s about setting a global precedent. If a regime can crush dissent, lock up its opposition, and still get certified as a safe destination, then what message are we sending to people fighting for freedom anywhere? 

It’s a message that says: Your suffering doesn’t count — not if your government signs the right migration deal. Not if it agrees to help Europe control its borders. Not if it keeps the boats from crossing. 

That’s not leadership. That’s cowardice dressed up as diplomacy. 

And for the people on the ground — the activists, the journalists, the ordinary Tunisians who dared to believe in a freer future — it’s betrayal. 

Let’s not pretend this is just a technical list. It’s a political choice. It tells asylum seekers they’re better off silent. It tells regimes that repression pays. And it tells the world that “safe” is no longer a reality — just a label we slap on when it’s convenient. 

The EU can’t have it both ways: condemning human rights abuses while partnering with abusers. If Tunisia is safe, words mean nothing. Law means nothing. And the people who depend on both? They’re left with nothing.