Current Tunisian migration is increasingly made up of profiles with higher education, reinforcing fears of a brain drain, according to a new study recently published by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Tunisia, entitled “International Labour Market and Identification of Opportunities for Tunisian Jobseekers”.
Current Tunisian migrants with tertiary education who left the country before 2000 represent 17.3% of the total, while current migrants with tertiary education who left the country between 2010 and 2020 represent 47.4%.
The main reasons for current migrants are work (45%), family reunification (32%) and study (11.5%). Although the reasons for migration vary according to destination, finding work is the main motivation.
However, family reunification remains the main reason for migration to Europe.
The study also found that 67% of respondents plan to leave the country to look for work. Of these, 34% plan to leave through individual channels and 32% through the National Agency for E
mployment and Self-Employment (ANETI).
Of those intending to leave, 38% had already started the migration process and were ready to go, while 30% were still in the research phase but had no concrete plans to leave for the time being. 17% of respondents said they faced various challenges, such as the fees charged by unlicensed private agencies and the lack of experience and skills required abroad.
In terms of the type of support they would like to receive to facilitate the migration process, 53% of respondents said they would like to see training and work placements for new graduates so that they can gain experience to help them find suitable jobs abroad.
As for their job preferences, only 3.8% of respondents said they would be willing to accept any job in Tunisia, regardless of the conditions, while 11.3% said they wanted to work abroad.
The study also revealed the existence of seven high-potential destination countries for Tunisian migrants, namely Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Qatar and the U
nited Arab Emirates.
According to IOM, the study aims to provide an initial analysis of the international labor market, its characteristics, challenges and trends, and to identify opportunities for Tunisian jobseekers with untapped skills in Tunisia.
The study is part of the Towards a Holistic Approach to Labour Migration Governance and Labour Mobility in North Africa (THAMM) program, which aims to facilitate regular migration channels.
The last wave of migration came in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s socio-economic crisis, according to the study.
This trend is continuing, with one in five of Tunisia’s non-migrant population aged 15 and over saying they intend to migrate to live, work or study abroad.
Over the last five years, North America, the Greater Maghreb and the Middle East have also attracted the interest of Tunisian migrants and their numbers have gradually increased, with a steady rise in female migration to 31% of all migrants.
This increase in female migration particular
ly affects women with higher education.
The geographical distribution of current migrants shows that more than 1/3 of current migrants come from three regions: the North-East (26.4%), Greater Tunis (26.2%) and the Centre-East (24.4%).
The majority of current Tunisian migrants reside in Europe, with three countries hosting three quarters of the migrants: France (52.5%), Italy (14.1%) and Germany (8.2%). North America attracts 4% of these migrants (2.5% to Canada and 1.5% to the United States).
11.4% of Tunisian workers abroad are employed in Arab countries.
In order to improve the integration of Tunisians into international labour markets, the study recommends devising a development strategy to promote skills development and improve the international employability of migrant workers.
The study also calls for the establishment of labour market information systems, increased cooperation between industry and universities, the creation of online platforms to connect with potential skilled migrant workers, and
the development of policies and programmes to promote skills development and entrepreneurship.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse