Leveraging Flows: The Surge in Irregular Migration From Tunisia to Europe

Wed. July 12th, 2023
Virtual

Irregular migration from and through Tunisia has surged since 2020. The North African country has become a launching point for Tunisian nationals as well as foreign migrants seeking to reach Europe. Indeed, in late 2022, Tunisia surpassed Libya as the main country of embarkation for Italy. With growing concerns in Europe about the inflow of migrants, the subject is increasingly dominating discussions on EU-Tunisia relations.

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 organizing a joint event on Wednesday, July 12, at 4:00 PM EEST, featuring Tasnim Abderrahim, Hamza Meddeb, and Anna Knoll. The event will focus on two publications examining the issue: “Borders Under Pressure: Increased Fragility Fuels Migration Surge from Tunisia,” which delves into the phenomenon of human smuggling from Tunisia to Europe during 2022; and “Leveraging Lives: Serbia and Illegal Tunisian Migration to Europe,” which analyzes the post-pandemic surge in Tunisian migration through the Western Balkan route and the growing instrumentalization of migration in countries’ foreign relations.

The discussion will be held in English and moderated by Matt Herbert. Those interested can join the event through Zoom and submit questions to the panelists using the live chat feature during the discussion. For more information, please contact claudio.landi@globalinitiative.net or najwa.yassine@carnegie-mec.org.

This event was produced with support from the X-Border Local Research Network, a program funded by UK aid from the UK government. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Tasnim Abderrahim

Tasnim Abderrahim is an analyst at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime within the North Africa and Sahel Observatory.

Matt Herbert

Matt Herbert is a Senior Expert at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, managing research activities for the North Africa and Sahel Observatory.

Anna Knoll

Anna Knoll is the head of ECDPM's migration and mobility team. Her current research focuses on the interaction between migration, displacement and development processes, the external and development dimension of the EU’s migration and asylum policies, migration in European development policies as well as African narratives, policies and processes on migration.

Hamza Meddeb

Fellow, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Hamza Meddeb is a research fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, where he co-leads the Political Economy Program