Migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa in Tunisia: A Storm in a Teacup?
Mohamed Amara
Migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa in Tunisia: A Storm in a Teacup?
MECAM Papers English | 2025
Abstract
This paper investigates the impact of sub-Saharan African immigrants on the Tunisian labour market as well as their labour market integration and social inclusion compared to other immigrants, with a focus on the migration influx since the Tunisian uprising of 2010–2011.
Using micro-level annual household labour force surveys and data from the last two population censuses on immigrants’ concentration by country of origin, we identify the impact of sub-Saharan Africans on the Tunisian labour market.
The paper uses the first Tunisia Households International Migration Survey (Tunisia-HIMS) to understand the sub-Saharan immigrants’ labour market outcomes and their social integration compared to immigrants of other origin.
Using a difference-in-differences (DiD) research design, we find a negative and significant immediate impact of sub-Saharan immigrants on the average annual earnings of local workers in micro-businesses in the retail trade and food services between 2011 and 2014. After 2014, there is a significant negative impact on employment in low value-added sectors, particularly in the building sector.
The Multidimensional Integration Index results show that social and psychological integration is particularly challenging for sub-Saharan immigrants, especially for young people, the non-educated, and women.
Context
Immigration impacts sectors and genders differently, requiring tailored employment strategies. In sectors such as agriculture, where female employment is negatively affected by immigration from sub-Saharan Africa, upskilling programmes for native women are needed. By contrast, industrial sectors benefiting male employment from immigration should focus on leveraging complementary skills of foreign and native male workers. The findings also emphasise the need for robust social and psychological integration programmes for sub-Saharan migrants, including language and cultural orientation, community engagement, and mental health support.
Ghana and Tunisia have often been framed as beacons of democracy in their respective regions. However, as Ghana’s democracy matured over decades, Tunisia’s experiment ultimately collapsed. This paper examines diverse factors shaping their paths, offering lessons on the risks of democratic backsliding.
