What Prevents 59% of Tunisian Expatriates from Returning to Their Country

Survey Reveals Insights into Tunisian Expatriates' Intentions to Return Home

According to a recent survey, 59% of Tunisians living abroad do not plan to return to Tunisia, while 20% express a clear intention to return, and 21% remain undecided. Among those who wish to return, 24% aim to create their own business, 21% plan to spend their retirement in Tunisia, and 34% cite family reasons as the primary motivation.

Key Findings

The survey, conducted as part of the THAMM-OFII project, funded by the European Union and coordinated by the French Office for Immigration and Integration, reveals the following key findings:

• Family reasons are the primary driver for return, affecting three generations, with expatriates seeking to reconnect with aging parents, maintain family cohesion, and ensure their children's cultural connection to Tunisian traditions.
• Retirement plans represent the second most significant factor, with Tunisians approaching retirement age (60-67) seeking to remain active and engaged, often combining retirement with entrepreneurial endeavors.
• Five major obstacles hinder the realization of return projects:
  1. The rigid Tunisian job market, making it challenging for expatriates to find stable employment.
  2. The lack of clearly identified opportunities and viable project ideas for those considering entrepreneurship.
  3. Administrative burdens, with excessive bureaucratic procedures for creating a business, obtaining necessary certifications, and launching projects.
  4. The perceived excessive taxation environment, discouraging business creation and commercial development.
  5. General living conditions in Tunisia, with expatriates accustomed to developed infrastructure in their host countries perceiving a significant quality gap.

Investment Projects

The survey reveals that investment projects envisioned by expatriates cover the entire economic spectrum, without a particular sectoral concentration. Entrepreneurial skills and motivations extend from agriculture to technology, including agro-industry and energy, demonstrating significant multisectoral development potential.

Recommendations

The survey formulates five strategic recommendation axes:

1. Enhance economic attractiveness: Facilitate access to promising markets, dynamize the entrepreneurial ecosystem, simplify access to financing, and improve the fiscal and regulatory environment.
2. Improve living conditions: Invest in healthcare, education, transportation, and security infrastructure, as well as develop adapted services in health and social protection.
3. Modernize administrative and financial climate: Implement a fully digitized administration, simplify procedures, and relax banking and exchange rules to facilitate capital transfers and financial management.
4. Strengthen social protection: Negotiate bilateral agreements for pension transfer, establish flexible mechanisms between host and origin countries, and introduce a transferable social security system for Tunisians abroad.
5. Ensure institutional stability: Reinforce transparency and guarantee economic policy stability to restore expatriates' confidence in the country's development.

Conclusion

The survey's findings and recommendations aim to encourage the Tunisian government to create an attractive environment for expatriates to return and invest in their home country. By addressing the obstacles and implementing the proposed measures, Tunisia can tap into the significant potential of its diaspora community, fostering economic growth, competitiveness, and modernization.