More plans afoot to halt Tunisia’s graduate brain drain

Tunisia is considering measures to facilitate the return of talent from abroad – an estimated 1.4 million people – to curb the brain drain of the country’s graduates, in particular doctors and engineers.

A study titled ‘The mobilization of Tunisian skills in the development of Tunisia and the reintegration of returning Tunisians’, published by the National Observatory of Migration (ONM) and posted on the observatory’s Facebook page, envisages the development of an inventory of Tunisian skills abroad to support efforts to bring talented professionals back to the country.

According to the study, statistics from the ministry of foreign affairs as well as the ministry of migration and Tunisians abroad, show that there are 1.4 million Tunisians outside their country of birth – nearly 12% of the national population.

Another aspect pointed out in another study is that the education level of Tunisian emigrants is higher than that of the rest of the population – about a third of those deciding to migrate are graduates. This is according to a 2024 study, ‘Unemployment and Social Crisis in Tunisia’, which indicated that “Tunisia’s difficult economic and social situation contributes to the decision of Tunisians to emigrate.”

Tunisia is ranked 8th out of the top 10 African countries with the highest diaspora remittance in 2024 as it received US$3.1 billion in diaspora remittances in 2024, primarily from its expatriate community in France and Italy.

The ONM study also showed that, in the period 2015-20, an estimated 39,000 engineers and 3,300 doctors left Tunisia. The number of return migrants is about 211,000, of which 47% are women, who returned for family reasons, compared to 28% of men for the same reasons.

The return migrants are in a more favourable economic situation than the general population, with higher levels of education and employment rates, according to a 2024 study titled, ‘Return, Reintegration and Re-migration: Understanding return dynamics and the role of family and community’.

According to the ONM study, return migrants invest mainly in agriculture (30.61%), in construction (29%), and in trade (22.7%), while current migrants invest in construction (44.61%), in real estate (30%), and in agriculture (15%).

Recommendations

The study recommended that the government collaborate closely with financial institutions to simplify and facilitate administrative procedures for Tunisians living abroad who wish to return to their country and invest there.

Another aspect highlighted in the study is the need to simplify the procedures for opening bank or postal accounts for Tunisians abroad and to reduce administrative paperwork, as well as to reduce the cost of financial transfers to Tunisia, which remains high compared to the global average, according to the study.

The importance of establishing effective financial services for Tunisians abroad to promote investment in the education, health and entrepreneurship sectors, is also emphasised.

What do the experts say?

Professor Sami Hammami, the former vice-president of the University of Sfax in Tunisia, told University World News: “While it is true that remittances from Tunisians abroad have been a significant source of foreign currency in recent years and have contributed significantly to rebalancing the current account, the brain drain is a major obstacle to the country’s development.

“The number of Tunisian doctors and engineers leaving the country continues to rise, due to the declining purchasing power of the elite and the difficulty of finding decent work that matches the skills of higher education graduates and the career plans they seek,” Hammami said.

He suggests that interventions that could help to facilitate the return of professionals are removing barriers that discourage reinvestment in the country, and tax benefits.

“The Tunisian diaspora in Europe or in the Arab Gulf countries includes, not only academics, but also businessmen who can help the country get through these difficult times by bringing their expertise and skills for more investment and more economic dynamics with partner countries.

“At present, the Tunisian government is working on improving university students’ employability to fight the brain drain,” Hammami said.

Earlier in 2025, the World Bank’s board of directors approved a US$100 million project titled, ‘Strengthening Tertiary Education for Employability, Innovation and Resilience’, or STEEIR, aimed at improving students’ employability and strengthening the quality and governance of higher education and scientific research institutions.

The STEEIR project draws on the Tertiary Education for Employability Project (PromESsE), which University World News reported on in December 2024. It is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge required by the labour market, while also supporting ongoing reforms to enhance university management and strengthen links with industry.