A university study published on July 9, 2025, in Sfax, Tunisia, reveals that 70 percent of sub-Saharan migrants passing through the North African country reject the idea of returning home and wish to continue their journey to Europe.
This the study says illustrates an increasingly tense migration situation.
Conducted by sociologist Zouhair Ben Jannet (University of Sfax), in collaboration with the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) and the ECUMUS laboratory, the study is based on 379 questionnaires conducted in Tunis, Sfax (notably Jebeniana and El Amra), and Medenine (Zarzis).
It highlights the extreme precariousness in which migrants live, often homeless or sheltering near NGOs.
It demonstrates that 70 percent of sub-Saharan migrants want to cross into Europe.
The survey covers 23 nationalities, with a majority of them Sudanese.
Among the respondents, 27% are women – 5 percent with children – and approximately 26 percent have a university education. It is estimated that there are between 2,500 and 3,000 minor children in Tunisia, many of whom are not registered with the civil registry.
Tunisia appears to be a forced transit zone, a consequence of uncoordinated migration policies in the region.
According to the study, 60 percent of migrants entered via Algeria, 24 percent via Libya. Mass expulsions from Algeria, sometimes estimated at 40,000 people, contribute to increasing pressure on Tunisian border areas.
Another observation: distrust of international organizations.
Approximately 70 percent of the migrants surveyed said they do not trust NGOs or UN agencies, sometimes after more than a decade of wandering in different countries. The authors warn of a “lasting migratory bottleneck” that could exacerbate Tunisia’s social fragility.
MK/te/Sf/fss/as/APA