45% of Tunisians ready to immigrate even illegally

Around 45 per cent of young Tunisians are ready to immigrate, even if it means doing so illegally, a study on “Youth and illegal migration in Tunisia: Field study of stereotypes, practices and expectations (FTDES)” has found.

Led by 11 experts and nine contributing universities, the study aims to analyse aspects of illegal migration of young Tunisians before and after the revolution, and to identify what motivates them to want to emigrate.

“The FTDES repeatedly emphasises the failure of the Tunisian development model which is illustrated by the increase in illegal migration,” FTDES head of communication, Romdhane Ben Amor explained.

The study was conducted in December 2015 on a random sample of 1,200 young Tunisians over six governorates including the capital Tunis, Kef, Gafsa, Kasserine and Medenine Mahdia.

The sample was made up of 53.3 per cent men and 46.7 per cent women; 50 per cent surveyed stopped their studies in high school, 27.6 per cent had a university degree and 17 per cent had primary level education. Of those surveyed, 70 per cent were unemployed.

The survey results indicate that 21 per cent of young people say they would join a migration project – even illegally – if the opportunity arises, and 15 per cent said they are in contact with smugglers.

Nearly 25,000 young Tunisians illegally left the country during the events of the 2011 revolution that ousted former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, with the numbers continuing to rise.

“We believed that the approaches adopted by successive governments in the management of the file of illegal migration could provide alternative solutions, apart from the agreements signed with the European Union, but no improvement was observed in the treatment of the economic and social situation in areas affected by illegal migration,” Ben Amour said.

The government has attempted to reduce the flow to 800 through cooperation with neighbouring countries, however the numbers remain high.

According to Radhouane Ayara, Secretary of State for Immigration and Tunisians Abroad, the solution to this phenomenon that results in the deaths of tens of Tunisians each year depends largely on restoring confidence between young people and the Tunisian state, developing strategies for job creation, the facilitation of orderly migration and promotion of development in the regions.