Summary

Due to structural economic, climate, and social crises in the Sahel, Tunisia has emerged as a key transit point for sub-Saharan African migrants and asylum seekers aiming to reach Europe. This has fueled a migration economy in Tunisia. Caught between Tunisia’s attempts to leverage migration to pressure the European Union (EU) on the one hand and the EU’s securitization of migration on the other, sub-Saharan African migrants find themselves trapped in a complex web of challenges.

Key Themes

  • Tunisia’s transformation into a transit country for migrants from Africa to Europe stems from several significant developments: chronic instability in the Sahel region and resulting waves of out-migration, Tunisia’s porous borders, its inconsistent migration policies, the proliferation of violence and xenophobic attitudes in the country, and deteriorating economic conditions.
  • Tunisia’s migration challenges have been exacerbated by the authorities’ failure to develop a comprehensive strategy to manage the presence and movement of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Security-centric approaches and short-term tactics have characterized the government’s response.
  • The rising number of migrants coming to Tunisia with the aim of reaching Europe has driven the creation of a migration ecosystem, with the city of Sfax as its linchpin. Other factors enabling the creation of this system have included local crises in key economic sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, and the informal economy.

Findings

  • The government’s failure to develop a coherent and realistic approach to migration has had a particularly destabilizing effect. Bureaucratic hurdles and the absence of legal protections, combined with xenophobic and conspiratorial narratives, threaten to spark periodic violence and human rights abuses, thereby exacerbating the vulnerability of migrants in Tunisia.
  • The expansion of the migration economy has led to a process of commercializing irregular Europe-bound departures. Corruption, increasing demand, and economic deterioration are enabling a professional migration industry to become entrenched. A regional development strategy that addresses economic and climate crises would help to thwart the nexus between migration and organized crime.
  • Tunisia’s use of migration as a geopolitical lever to exert pressure on European countries underscores the limitations of the EU’s securitization and its policy of externalizing its border controls.
  • The various policy misalignments between Tunisia and Europe, and even among EU members states themselves, are fueling instability and could lead to a humanitarian disaster. Only through a revitalized Europe-Africa strategy emphasizing circular migration, investments, and innovative cooperation can irregular migration be effectively reduced.

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