(TAP)- The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (French: FTDES) Wednesday urged the Tunisian government to suspend talks with Spain which, it said, does not "respect the rights of migrants and the principle of non-refoulement."

The FTDES criticised "inhuman conditions of detention" as over 800 undocumented Tunisian migrants, including women and children, have been held for more than five months now in "poor conditions" at the Detention Centre for Immigrants in Melilla, Spain.

The Forum denounced the overuse of detention against undocumented Tunisian migrants "as a deterrent and punishment, whatever their personal situation might be" and while failing to consider the need to take non-custodial measures. This is a breach of the right to personal freedom and safety.

The forum also urged the Tunisian government to be true to its anti-deportation stance spelled out by the social affairs minister in December 2018.

"Border management measures must comply with human rights commitments and must not rest on inhuman policies designed to detect, detain and deport undocumented immigrants," the forum further said.

Spanish authorities are legally and ethically accountable for all desperate solutions migrants resort to.