Preliminary results of a field study on the situation of migrants in Tunisia

Field survey on the situation of migrants in Tunisia: preliminary quantitative results

July 2024

The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) has carried out a field study on the migration issue under the direction of a team of researchers. The study is based on quantitative and qualitative methods ranging from semi-directive interviews to focus groups. From March to May 2024, the survey was carried out with a sample of 379 migrants, in three governorates: Tunis, Sfax and Médenine.

In a complex and critical local and regional context, this field study examined five key areas:

Arrival routes and conditions.

Residence conditions in Tunisia.

Access to fundamental rights.

Social relations and relationships with others.

Interactions with public institutions and civil society players.

The following is a preliminary presentation of the general characteristics of the sample and the key descriptive results of the study themes. The research team will regularly publish the results of the database in the form of analytical papers, articles and infographics from September onwards.

 General portrait of the sample

The sample was made up of 72.1% men and 26.9% women, 64% were aged between 18 and 28, 5% were minors and the average age was 26.

9.5% of those surveyed could neither read nor write, while 28% of the sample had an advanced level of education.

The migrants who took part in the study came from 23 African countries. According to the sample surveyed, Sudan leads the way (14.2%), followed by Guinea Conakry, while Mauritania, Ethiopia and Eritrea are the last countries in terms of number of migrants on Tunisian soil.

Irregular migrants accounted for 62.8% of those surveyed, while asylum seekers represented 25%.

Nearly 30% of participants were studying in their country of origin before leaving, and 14% were permanently employed.

Migration and living conditions in Tunisia

The reasons for migration are complex, particularly political and economic. Oppressive regimes top the list (66%), followed by climate change (54%).

Migrants arrived in Tunisia via the land border with Algeria in over 60% of cases, and overland via Libya in over 23%, making the land border the main crossing point for over 83% of migrants. 

Once in Tunisia, 45% of those questioned said they had continued their migratory journey on foot.

12% of those questioned were accompanied by at least one or more dependent children.

Currently, 52% of those surveyed are unemployed.

75% of those surveyed have been forced to change their place of residence several times in Tunisia over the past year, the main reason being to avoid security constraints, followed by violence from the inhabitants of the regions where they had previously settled, and the search for more welcoming regions for migrants. Currently, more than half of those questioned live in precarious and undignified conditions (streets, parks, tents, in the open air, etc.).

Since arriving in Tunisia, 77% of migrants say they have been victims of one or more forms of violence. The leading form of violence against migrants is verbal violence (67% at least once), followed by physical violence (56.7% at least once). According to them, this violence is mainly perpetrated by “groups of delinquents”. When they are victims of violence in Tunisia, only 5% of migrants say they have filed a complaint, while 40% of victims of violence refrain from doing so because of their administrative status, and 12% because they don’t know what steps to take.

Migrants face a variety of problems in their current living environments, such as violence between migrants, inability to communicate with their families back home, and violence at the hands of Tunisians.

40.1% of migrants have no access to drinking water, and almost 70% say they know migrants who are short of food.

When faced with health concerns, respondents frequently go to the pharmacy (65.2%) or use traditional methods of treatment (56.5%). Only in 14% of cases did respondents visit a public hospital at least once, a private clinic (12%) or a doctor’s surgery (7%) (multiple choice / answer by “at least once”).

Financial situation (93%) and fear of being arrested (90%) are the main difficulties participants face in accessing healthcare. (multiple choice / answer by “agree”)

Tunisians and host communities top the list of local actors who have provided in-kind assistance to migrants, followed by the Tunisian authorities.

 Prospects and factors determining the route to Tunisia

On the reasons for choosing Tunisia as a destination, participants expressed themselves as follows: (multiple choice / response by “agree” and “more or less agree”)

 It wasn’t a choice:

75.2% because forced towards Tunisian borders against their will

59.4% because forced to flee violence in a neighboring country

59.3% because forced to flee country of origin

Networks and contacts:

62% for the network of acquaintances who would help to live in Tunisia

49.8% for the network of acquaintances who would help you cross to Europe

43.7% for contacting international organizations

 Situation in Tunisia:

46.4% possibility of finding work

33.3% security stability

Over 30% of those surveyed have attempted to cross to Europe from Tunisia at least once in the past year.

A third of those who tried to do so witnessed the shipwreck. 53.8% of those questioned said they knew of other migrants who had drowned or gone missing.

When asked about their future plans, 42% of participants were thinking of returning to their country of origin, while 79.2% expressed a desire to cross to Italy. (multiple choice / “yes” answers)

On Tunisia’s pull factors, participants expressed themselves as follows (multiple choice / “agree” response)

30.1% possibility of working in Tunisia compared to other countries

35.4% feel comfortable in Tunisia

53.6% unable to return to their country of origin

45.6% waiting for the opportunity to cross to Italy (17% refused to answer this question)

34.8% waiting for a return to stability in another country

On the subject of Tunisia’s push factors, participants expressed themselves as follows: (multiple choice / response by “agree” and “more or less agree”)

67.5% the feeling of insecurity

60.7% if crossing to Italy is no longer possible

80.2% mistreatment by authorities

62.5% mistreatment by UN agencies

The individuals surveyed believe that Tunisians would not be in favor of a massive regularization of the situation of migrants due to (in order): manipulation of public opinion and misinformation in the media and on social networks, the economic situation in Tunisia, and finally racism.