Union and Tunisia sign a memorandum on migration and finance
On 16 July 2023 von der Leyen, Meloni, and the Dutch prime minister joined a Commission-Tunisia memorandum Michel’s Council had politically backed: money against departures. In the causal graph this event strengthens Migration-policy restrictiveness and border control, a driver that weakens Having a say in government — a worsening welfare path.
Who was responsible
Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.
Charles Michel
PersonDirect responsibility
responsibility level 0.45 · verified
He backed externalisation in conclusions. The Commission signed. Tunisia implemented.
What changed
Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.
- FactUnion and Tunisia sign a memorandum on migration and finance
- strengthensDriverMigration-policy restrictiveness and border control
- weakensIndicators (2)Having a say in government
impact weight 0.5 · Effect from 16 July 2023 · verified
Paying a third country to stop departures increases practical restrictiveness on the central Mediterranean route.
Weakens · Relationship strength 0.3 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.6)
Observed
29.8% of population aged 16-65 years · 8.13 below the normal line (2023)
Worse than normalTwo readings: 30.2% of population aged 16-65 years (2021) and 29.8% of population aged 16-65 years (2023).
20212023 Above normal = better
Weakens · Relationship strength 0.2 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.4)
Observed
303M persons · 150M above the normal line (2024)
Better than normal8 readings, 1990–2024: rose from 154M persons to 303M persons.
Moving normal line
Evidence
The sources behind this fact and its verification state.
- 1.Human Rights Watch — Tunisia-EU migration dealHuman Rights Watch · High credibility · verified
- 2.Commission press release — Memorandum of Understanding with TunisiaOfficial record · High credibility · verified
Causal path
How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.
- ActorCharles Michel
- contributed toFactUnion and Tunisia sign a memorandum on migration and finance
- strengthensDriverMigration-policy restrictiveness and border control
- weakensIndicatorHaving a say in government
Cite this page
Factrail. (2026). Union and Tunisia sign a memorandum on migration and finance. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/eu-tunisia-mou-2023
https://factrail.ai/facts/eu-tunisia-mou-2023
Accessed 16 October 2026.
By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed
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