Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Several developments have contributed to Tunisia’s transformation into a transit point for African migrants, including its porous borders, inconsistent migration policies, the proliferation of xenophobic attitudes, and deteriorating economic conditions.
The Middle East and North Africa have been hit by food, energy, and debt crises that have exacerbated structural economic weaknesses of low- and middle-incomes countries, particularly Egypt, Tunisia, and Lebanon.
The food, energy, and debt crises in the Middle East and North Africa have exacerbated structural economic weaknesses of low- and middle-income countries—particularly Egypt, Tunisia, and Lebanon—creating mounting pressure on domestic political orders and worsening these countries’ geopolitical marginalization.
On the third anniversary of the Abraham Accords, an already fractured region is divided further over the prospects of peace.
Kais Saied has been the President of Tunisia since 2019. Just a few short years ago, Saied was a constitutional law professor, and Tunisia was seen as the only success story of the uprisings known as the Arab Spring. Now, Tunisia is slipping back into autocracy.
To understand the underlying factors contributing to the surge in irregular migration from and through Tunisia, the Malcolm H. Kerr Middle East Center and The Global Initiative are organising a joint event on Wednesday, 12 July at 4:00 PM EEST with Tasnim Abderrahim, Hamza Meddeb, and Anna Knoll.
Climate change in the Middle East will amplify preexisting vulnerabilities stemming from conflict, displacement, marginalization, and corruption, while also creating new risks. Governments in the region will need to adopt more inclusive reforms as part of their climate adaptation strategies.
Financial crises are threatening the stability of Egypt, Tunisia, and Lebanon. Despite a rare alignment of elements conducive to change, reforming the economy will still be politically challenging.
Pouring money into Kais Saied’s increasingly repressive regime will not solve Tunisia’s migration problem. Rather, it could lead to instability and a further exodus of people to Europe.
In a complex, changing, and increasingly contested world, the Carnegie Endowment generates strategic ideas and independent analysis, supports diplomacy, and trains the next generation of international scholar-practitioners to help countries and institutions take on the most difficult global problems and advance peace. Join our mailing list to become part of our network of more than 150 scholars in 20 countries.
Sign up to receive emails from Carnegie!