Decades of persistently high unemployment and inflation have taken their toll on Tunisians struggling to make ends meet. For many, the only solution has been to leave the country in hopes of a better life in Europe, overcoming the extremely prohibitive visa process by taking dangerous, often deadly sea crossings at night. But European countries on the Mediterranean shore that are the first arrival point for sea-bound immigrants have, in recent years, taken aggressive measures to deport new arrivals while integrating Tunisia into its sometimes deadly border guard operations. Meshkal spoke to some Tunisians who made the dangerous nighttime sea crossings only to be deported back to Tunisia.
Returning Empty Handed
Ali, whose name has been changed for anonymity, is 38 and from Tataouine, a city in southern Tunisia. As an uprising shook Tunisia in 2011, a revolt that subsequently spread across the Arab world, Ali, a university student, joined thousands like him in crossing the sea to Europe.
For educated and highly skilled Tunisians, Europe has welcomed them with open arms. France and Germany, along with Arab Gulf countries and Canada, have been recruiting Tunisian doctors, engineers, and highly qualified professionals, while refusing lesser-educated Tunisians the opportunities to immigrate. According to Mahmoud Kaba, the director of regional migration projects at EuroMed Rights, “Europe’s clear message is: rather than receiving everyone, it is better to accept what we are looking for.”
One of the clearest examples of the negative effects of this “brain drain” can be seen in the Tunisian medical field. In 2025, 84 percent of recent medical graduates in Tunisia chose to move and work abroad. This exodus of doctors has decreased access to quality medical care in Tunisia, particularly in public hospitals.
Tataouine, like many regions in Tunisia’s interior, has also seen large numbers of young people leave for Europe. Local scholars estimate that between 2020 and 2022 alone, Tataouine lost about 12,000 young people, nearly 8 percent of the population. But for thousands, their journeys ended in forced return. Eurostat reported that in 2024, 19,075 Tunisians were deported from the EU, while the following year, 16,390 were forced to return.
Ali was one of those deported, albeit after an extended stay. After arriving in France in 2011, he remained until April 2025, when he was forced to leave. Although he tried to make his stay legal twice, in 2016 and 2020, the administrative process proved impossible to overcome.
“Getting all the papers was tough. Scammers tricked me with fake pay slips,” Ali told Meshkal.
Mental Health Struggles
Those forced to return to Tunisia typically face a variety of mental health issues. In one study, a deportee reported suffering from emotional vulnerability and physical frailty after an extended prison sentence and eventual deportation.
Another report by Statewatch in 2022 exposed Italy, one of the primary destinations for Tunisian migrants, for denying basic rights to Tunisian migrants it detained. Over half of those interviewed claimed they weren’t given enough food while detained, while almost all reported not having access to showers or hot water—with at least two young Tunisian men dying in 2021 while under detention. These abuses increase the likelihood that irregular immigrants experience anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
Nour Houda Assel, a psychologist based in Tataouine, has worked with many of these individuals. According to her, the deportees she supports show significant signs of anxiety disorders, persistent insomnia, hypervigilance, and a deep sense of failure or shame. Some exhibit marked depressive symptoms, like loss of motivation, social withdrawal, and difficulty envisioning the future. These symptoms often leave deportees more vulnerable to the stressors that forced their migration in the first place, creating the conditions for another attempt to emigrate.
In following the therapeutic protocol, Assel doesn’t believe it is her job to directly dissuade irregular migration.
“When someone considers re-migrating, we clarify motivations and realistically assess risks and alternatives. It’s key to distinguish thoughtful plans from impulsive ones driven by distress or social pressure. The goal is informed decision-making, with full awareness of psychological and material stakes. Patient autonomy remains central,” she told Meshkal.
Societal Pressures
The decision to migrate irregularly is often motivated by family members, friends, and the larger community. Mona, whose name was changed for anonymity, is a woman from Tataouine who irregularly emigrated to France when she was 21 years old. She speaks of that migration as a necessary choice and the best way to financially support her family in Tunisia. However, her first months in France were marked by instability—precarious housing, informal jobs, and a struggle to make ends meet. Over time, she found herself in a group that offered protection and helped her survive. However, this group was involved in illicit operations.
Eventually, Mona was arrested before being deported to Tunisia. She says it wasn’t the prison sentence that hurt her the most, but the anticipation of what others would say when she reached Tunisia.
Upon arrival, she avoided her neighbors for weeks. She told Meshkal that she slept poorly, jumped at the slightest noise, and relived the arrest in recurring nightmares. She said that she often repeated the phrase: “I brought back nothing.”
Treatment for Struggling Returnees
Assel describes her approach as “integrative and tailored to each case.” Through Cognitive-Based Therapy (CBT), she works to address and reframe patients’ thoughts regarding failure, guilt, or shame. Through this approach, Assel hopes to place “the migration experience in a broader narrative beyond failure, restoring ‘identity continuity’”, or resilience and self-worth. However, she admits that, without job prospects for returnees, psychological support becomes more difficult, and treatment is less effective.
Therefore, Assel believes that structured intervention, including therapy, job-seeking advice, and socio-economic support, is needed. In Tunisia, multiple reintegration programs exist, including the government-run Tounesna (“Our Tunisia”) program. This program, funded by the European Union and managed by the Tunisian government’s Ministry of Social Affairs’ Office of Tunisians Abroad (OTE) focuses on the social and economic reintegration of returning Tunisian migrants. The Italian NGO CEFA, also funded by the European Union, is also actively engaged in reintegration and vocational training in Tunisia, focusing on socio-economic support for returning migrants and youth. Other important actors include the German state development organization GIZ, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Yet, the scope of these programs remains extremely limited. According to a report by GAPS, the majority of Tunisian migrants deported by European countries back to Tunisia do not receive support from international organizations, hindering their ability to access financial or psychological assistance.
This lack of support may create the conditions for deportees to re-migrate to Europe, often out of despair. Due to his continued struggles, Ali is among those planning to return to Europe.
“I want a [driving] contract in Ireland. I hear they offer better options,” he told Meshkal.
Mona isn’t as sure, as she hesitates between rebuilding her life in Tunisia or attempting a new venture abroad.
Where to Go from Here
While the pressure to emigrate again, either through formal mechanisms or irregularly, is felt by many Tunisian deportees, an increasing number of Tunisian deportees may be choosing to stay. According to one survey, 87 out of 163 respondents answered that they are “very unlikely” to attempt to irregularly migrate again, while nine added that they are “somewhat unlikely.” However, this information should be interpreted with caution, as respondents may have been influenced by fear of reprisal, lack of trust, or other factors.
In speaking to Meshkal, Assel, the psychologist, argued that family support is crucial to the well-being of returnees.
“What truly smooths reintegration is non-judgmental listening. Avoid reproaches, comparisons to ‘successful’ others, or repeated questioning about the failure. Creating a safe space for expressing disappointment and anger helps gradually restore self-esteem,” she said.
Although Tunisian deportees face a variety of struggles, their difficult experiences may have given them a valuable gift: resilience. Mona explains that, despite the mistakes she made and the trauma she experienced, she has developed an ability to adapt to the worst of circumstances. And in a country where unemployment remains high and persistently high, this skill might position deportees as a vital group in reviving Tunisia.
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