Name: Sabri Bezzazi Subject: MEPI Capstone project ID: 200903077 Instructor: Marwan G.Rowayheb

Illegal immigration: Where to…?

1

Acknowledgment:

This research project is dedicated to the youth of Tunisia. I would like to express my

deepest gratitude to my teacher and advisor Dr. Marwan G.Rowayheb who continuously offered

me valuable assistance and guidance throughout the entire work. Of course, I give a very warm

thanks to the LAU MEPI TL administrative staff that provided me with the chance to bring to

light an aspect of Tunisian youth suffering and making this research possible.

2

Abstract:

This paper tackles the issue of illegal immigration from less developed countries to

developed one. The focus of our research is on the existence of this problem in Tunisia; as youth

risk their lives to get to European shores in search of a better life. We will present a

comprehensive study of the origins of this phenomenon ranging from; economic and social

challenges to political ones. We will also see what other countries such as; Algeria, Morocco

and Mexico have done to limit the spread of this dilemma. This paper is not merely descriptive,

as it provides a tentative solution that aims to spread awareness among Tunisian youth about the

risks of illegal immigration and the opportunities they would miss in their country if they opt for

such a suicidal way of clandestine traveling. The project proposal included in this paper is to be

executed in accordance with several local NGOs and National academic institutions in order to

help Tunisian youth restore faith in their country and ultimately become less interested in the

idea of illegal immigration.

3

Table of contents:

I) Introduction:

II) Body:

1. Problem Statement

2. Background of the issue:

a) Economic challenges:

b) Social challenges:

c) Political challenges :( Ben Ali’s regime)

3. What other countries have done about this problem:

a) Algeria

b) Morocco

c) Mexico

4. Methodology proposed by this project:

a) Proposed solution:

b) Targeted population:

c) Description and objective of the project:

5. Implementation mechanism:

a) Securing venue:

b) Activities:

Opinions and reflections

Power point presentation

Guest speakers

Implications of illegal immigration

Alternatives proposed

Assessment

III) Conclusion:

4

I) Introduction:

It is unquestionable that there is a large gap between developed countries and less

developed ones. The difference in terms of capabilities and resources is nearly incomparable.

Throughout the years, regions such Western Europe kept offering better opportunities and living

standards for its people than those offered by countries in the Middle East and North Africa

(MENA) region to their respective citizens. With the introduction of globalization, people from

MENA countries become more exposed to high quality of life that most citizens of the European

Union enjoy. Less developed countries, unable to close this development gap, started losing the

confidence of their youth. Young people from these unfortunate states, under deep frustration,

become more tempted to experience the European life style. In a time where these youth could

barely survive the harsh living conditions that they have to accept in their home countries, their

desire to immigrate to Western Europe grow dramatically. It is perceived as not only a way to

experience a luxurious life but also a salvation from their misery. This misconception of chasing

this “ European Paradise” pushed young people to put their lives at risk, due to restricted

immigration laws, as they found themselves forced to break the law and try to sneak illegally

into foreign land. In this paper, we will propose a project that seeks to make youth more aware of

the risks accompanied in the journey of illegal immigration along to clearing out their

misconception of an awaiting “European paradise” offshores. The idea behind this project is to

help youth to willingly shift their interest in illegal immigration to believing in better

opportunities in their home country through awareness campaigns and extensive roundtable

discussions with Tunisian youth about the phenomenon of illegal immigration.

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II) Body:

1. Problem statement:

Tunisia is a North African country with a population of nearly 11 million and 69.3% of

them are between the age of 15 and 641. According to the age pyramid drawn up by the Tunisian

National Institute of Statistics located in Tunis, 54.3% of the adult population is under the age of

302. Therefore, this country holds a young population. Obviously such a huge number of youth

imposes a heavy load on a less developed country like Tunisia. Due to the limited resources that

the government possesses, a lot of this young population demands and needs such as;

employment for fresh graduates and fair working conditions for those working in the private

sector, are not satisfied. As a result, Tunisian youth, mainly those ranging from the age of 16 to

24, are looking for alternative choices after feeling the incompetency of their country to address

their necessities to secure a better future and assure a dignified life.

A big portion of Tunisian youth, in front of strict immigration laws and their failure to

satisfy the requirements for European visas, found no choice but to go for a more drastic

alternative that is; illegal immigration. Illegal immigration, also referred to as “Irregular

immigration” by the International Organization for Migration, is defined as “Movement that

takes place outside the regulatory norms of the sending, transit and receiving countries.” The

same source clarifies the status of an irregular migrant as “a person who, owing to unauthorized

entry, breach of a condition of entry, or the expiry of his or her visa, lacks legal status in a transit

or host country.”3

1 CIA: The world fact book: Tunisia (2010) https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-

factbook/geos/ts.html 2 National Institute of Statistics: Tunisia(2012) http://www.ins.nat.tn/indexfr.php

3 International Organization of Migration(2011). http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/about-migration/key-migration-

terms/lang/en#Immigration

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Now, what we are concerned about here is not the theoretical aspects of an illegal

immigrant but rather the hazardous circumstances that come with the process of crossing

boarders illegally. For a lot of Tunisian youth, there comes a certain time in their life where they

feel that illegal immigration to European countries such as; Italy and France, is the only salvation

from the misery they find themselves living in Tunisia.

Since sometimes desperate situations call for desperate measures, these young people

accept to take an almost suicidal measures in the pursuit of the “European Dream” as we would

like to refer to it; which is an illusion of finding richness and happiness in the European paradise.

Youth put their lives at high risk as they decide to cross international maritime routes connecting

Tunisia with Western Europe. The Italian island of “Lampedusa” is the most favorable

destination since it is one of the closest points to European Union territory for Tunisians.

Although the distance between Tunisia and this Island is roughly 100Km, the risk that

accompanies such a trip falls with the means of transportation this youth use. They are mainly

small fishing boats that are equipped neither to travel long distances nor to support the heavy

number of travellers4. Not to mention also the fact that some of these travellers do not even know

how to swim!

As a result, most of these travellers never reach their desired destination and end up

drowning in the sea or captured by boarder authorities if they are lucky enough to be locked up

in a cell rather than buried in the deep sea. Although illegal immigration in Tunisia kept on

growing in the last years, it reached its peak during the popular uprisings that took place back in

late December 2010. This was due to the big chaos and civil unrest that required local authorities

4 Bloomberg (2011). http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-16/-biblical-exodus-from-africa-feeds-anti-

immigrant-rhetoric.html

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and the military to make securing and restoring order in the country their number one priority.

This resulted in creating a gap over boarder control and security which encouraged a lot of young

people to take a chance at using the relatively unguarded sea ports while they were “under the

radar” as their gateway to Europe. In a report posted by the British newspaper “DailyMail”;

Italian authorities declared state of emergency following the arrival of nearly 4000 illegal

immigrants in a period of just 4 days who escaped the chaos and unrest that overwhelmed

Tunisia back in late February 20115.

Based on these declarations it becomes obvious that the efforts put and the risks taken by

Tunisian youth to get to European land do not reflect great success. Eventually Europe doesn’t

have a place for everyone. Those who manage to make their journey successfully will witness

their dreams vanishing as they discover the challenges they have to face in the “European

paradise” ranging from discrimination to economic exploitation. Additionally, let us not forget

the sea that is swallowing its hopeless victims ruthlessly. It was mentioned earlier that desperate

situations leads to desperate actions.

Considering the modest number of the Tunisian population which is 11 million, as

mentioned earlier, it seems that 4000 illegal immigrants fleeing the country in a matter of 4 days

is a big loss for Tunisian human resource not to mention also the percentage of people who died

in the process. In an interview initiated by the Tunisian Newspaper “Essabah” with Dr. Abed

Rahmen Ben Mansour, who is the Tunisian consul general in Palermo, Italy, he declared that

over 850 Tunisian illegal immigrants lost their lives in the sea while trying to get to Italian

boarders since the Tunisian revolution started. He announced also that approximately 120

5 Nick Pisa: Daily Mail(February,2011). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1356571/Tunisia-unrest-Italys-

state-emergency-4-000-illegal-immigrants-arrive-4-days.html

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individuals are missing while some 3,380 were deported immediately upon their arrival to Italian

shores, leaving them right back where they started and all their efforts and risks throughout their

trip in vain. He also estimated based on available statistics that overall more than 25,000

Tunisians come to Italy illegally by sea with most of them located on the small island of

Lampedusa6.

These vulnerable youth are suffering from a very challenging reality. Difficulties ranging

from economic burdens to social pressures are causing Tunisian youth to lose their faith in their

country and seeking better opportunities and a new life in Western Europe. This attitude does not

only threaten the lives of those who chose to leave the country illegally but it also affects the

Tunisian society as a whole. Tunisia needs its youth now more than ever before, not only

because they represent the majority of an age group but also because they hold so many

potentials; both academic (those who hold high school and university degrees) and professional

(those who master specific working skills at an early age). Now for a country who recently

experienced an uprising and civil unrest to bring down a corrupt regime, now it is the people’s

duty, mainly youth, to contribute to building a better country.

2. Background of the issue:

It was mentioned earlier that illegal immigration towards Western Europe has been

around for several years now. The recent uprising of 2010 acted only as another incentive to

intensify this phenomenon. However if we are to study the origins of such unfortunate dilemma

it is better to take a look at Tunisians both; economic and social challenges along to analyzing

the previous governing regime “Ben Ali’s era”.

6 Sana Ajmi: Tunisialive(April, 2012). www.tunisia-live.net/2011/11/18/more-than-850-tunisian-illegal-immigrants-

drowned-120-lost-and-3380-deported/

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a) Economic challenges:

Starting with the economic status of the country, Tunisia is a third world country.

Therefore it is not self-sufficient due to lack of resources. Those who are fortunate enough to get

a job; either for academic qualifications or labor skills they possess, are not being paid enough.

The Tunisian’s minimum wage a worker can be legally paid for his work is among the lowest in

the region of North Africa and Middle East (MENA). It was set to 252 Tunisian Dinars for a 48-

hour week /month previously and has been raised to 286TD (equivalent to 207.064USD) recently

in May 20117. Still, it remains barely enough to cover for the most basic needs ranging from

shelter to food. Until now tourism and entertainment remain exclusive privileges for the upper

class, who obviously do not need to think about illegal immigration since they already enjoy a

better quality of life than most Tunisian youth.

Additionally, most economic investments implemented in the country are out of the reach

of Tunisian youth especially those who do not hold academic qualifications such as high school

degrees or university level education. Therefore the hiring process does not include them and

eventually these young people feel excluded from the economic circle and find their selves stuck

in the dilemma of unemployment which has reached already 19%.8 Not to mention also the

constant rising prices that citizens are obliged to pay in order to survive. Many young people find

themselves frustrated in front of these harsh living conditions. Therefore their enthusiasm to seek

better opportunities in Europe becomes bigger especially when they realize that Western

countries provide better pay and more comfortable working conditions in comparison to what

7 US Department of State: Tunisia: Background Notes(March,2012).

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5439.htm#econ 8 Same source.

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they get in Tunisia. Inevitably Tunisian youth become convinced that their financial status will

only be better if they go and work abroad.

b) Social challenges:

As for the social challenges that push most Tunisian youth to flee the country we can start

with the most noticeable one which is the high unemployment rate among youth as mentioned

above. Ironically, a big portion of the unemployed youth is those with university degrees. This

phenomenon is explained mainly due to the government intensive investment in public education

by making it both free and mandatory. This resulted in a high number of university students;

nearly 350,000 registered in 20119. Obviously, the local job market is not able to absorb all

university graduates due to its extremely limited resources and capabilities. Therefore a lot of

highly qualified young professionals are left on their own upon completion of their academic

formation. In a report published on “Afrique-Avenir” the Tunisian minister of social affairs,

Mohamed Ennaceur, announced that nearly 170,000 unemployed individuals are registered

among graduates10

. Such a reality not only affects those graduates for their “bad luck” but it also

reflects on the younger generation mainly those attending high school who starts losing hope in

pursing their higher education since they will end up on the streets just like their former colleges.

Furthermore, Mr.Ennaceur also reported that the poverty level has reached 24.7% in

addition to the escalation of number of unemployed persons to 700,000 of which 69% are under

the age of 30 years old11

. So not only that Tunisian youth have to deal with the problem of

poverty and unemployment, they are also exposed to an even more social pressure; When they

hear about successful stories of their friends or relatives who managed to make it to Europe

9 Same source.

10 Afrique Avenir (May,2011) http://www.afriqueavenir.org/en/2011/05/29/poverty-rate-hits-24-7-in-tunisia-says-

social-affairs-minister/ 11

Same source

11

illegally and start sending money to their families back home after securing a job abroad that is

better paid than home. Most youth feel that Europe is the only route to salvation from these

social dilemmas and believe even stronger that illegal immigration is the key to their success.

c) Ben Ali’s regime:

Since the arrival of Ben Ali to power back in 1987, a series of failed policies

implemented within the society made life unbearable and rendered a big portion of Tunisian

youth impatient to leave the country and seek better life abroad. Although his regime

successfully maintained the free access to public education, it failed to provide sufficient jobs to

most university graduates as it was explained earlier. In addition to that, Ben Ali’s clan took over

most of the local investments and industrial sector. Due to lack of supervision and absence of

accountability, corruption overwhelmed these vital fields, making it harder to young

professionals and skilled workers to be part of the economic life unless they have close relations

to the people in power12

. Because of the poor background of many young people, they had no

choice but to accept to be exploited by an unfair system; many working hours in return of low

wages.

In addition to that, due to the dictatorship nature of Ben Ali’s regime, civil rights and

freedoms were severely jeopardized and in many cases violated. This added to the frustration of

most Tunisian youth who were not only allowed to get jobs but also to get their voice heard.

Charles Micaud in his book “Politics in North Africa: Tunisia” stated:“ In Tunisia, trade unions

and student organizations, have become instruments in the hands of the central power, not the

condition of its legitimacy, as they were under total control of the political elite that holds hands

12

From the New State to the New Era: Toward a Second Republic in Tunisia.Author(s): Dirk Vandewalle.Source: Middle East Journal, Vol. 42, No. 4 (Autumn, 1988), pp. 602-620

12

on everything happening in the Tunisian territory.”13

Most youth perceived in Europe a gate

away destination from the suppression and dictatorship that they were subject to in Tunisia. A

big part of illegal immigrants don’t go to Europe in pursuit of economic gain only, they also look

for a better quality of life where human rights are respected and living with dignity and security

is not a dream anymore.

Unfortunately, the Tunisian regime adopted an aggressive approach to face the

phenomenon of illegal immigration. Most laws issued to cut down clandestine immigration

became more severe under Ben Ali’s regime. Violators become subject to imprisonment along to

financial punishments. Obviously, this policy proved to be a failure due to the increased number

of illegal immigrants. Therefore changes need to take place regarding the way this issue is

handled.

3. What other countries have done about this problem:

In this section, we will explore the different approaches that neighboring (Algeria and

Morocco) and remote (Mexico) countries have done to face the phenomenon of illegal

immigration. It is an attempt to demonstrate the most common practices and government

strategies aiming at reducing the number of immigrants who seek to leave their countries in a

clandestine way in search of better opportunities abroad as their respective countries were unable

to respond to their needs effectively and efficiently. This study indicates how tough and

aggressive most of these approaches are, with the exception of morocco as it displays a relatively

positive approach rather than a deterrent one, in addressing the issue of illegal immigration.

Unfortunately, not only these countries share the same problem “illegal immigration” with

13

Politics in North Africa:Tunisia. Author(s) : Charles A. Micaud.Vol. 18, No. 4, The Maghreb United States and Africa (Oct., 1991), pp. 60-64 .Published by: Indiana University Press

13

Tunisia, but they also adopt similar approaches to those implemented by the Tunisian

government to tackle this issue. The level of aggressiveness of these procedures in regard to their

limited efficiency in reducing the number of illegal immigrants makes us rethink our strategies

and seek more suitable approaches to face this common dilemma.

a) Algeria:

This country adopted an assertive approach against the phenomenon of illegal

immigration in an attempt to serve as a deterrent for Algerians thinking of fleeing the country

illegally. These people are locally known as “Harragas”. Among the policies issued by Algerian

authorities is the introduction of a new penal code, put into force staring of Augus31st,2008, that

sets out prison sanctions for Harragas. Based on this law, leaving Algeria is criminalized and

considered as a criminal offence punished by legal sanctions. Violators of this law are subject to

imprisonment up to a period of six months. Authorities adopted even harder sanctions against

traffickers who supervise the operations under which the illegal transport of immigrants takes

place by boats, what are also known as “Death boats”. Sentences for traffickers can reach up to

an imprisonment period of 10 years. A governmental official declared that these legal sentences

can be increased when the violation is done by an individual who hold a facilitator position for

illegal immigration or in case of the existence of an organized group specialized in human

trafficking business14

.. As this phenomenon acquired more national attention in the country, the

president Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced that “ there would be no difference between suicide

14

New penal code criminalizes illegal immigration in Algeria : Algeria-Watch:(2008) www.algeria-watch.org/en/articles/2008/code_immigration.htm

14

bombers and “Harragas”, except that the former kill innocent people and the latter do more harm

to their close families and first and foremost to themselves.”15

Back in the first six months of the year of 2005, Algerian authorities revealed the

detention of some 3,234 illegal immigrants and legal sanctions has been applied against nearly

2,244 of them. Additionally, at the beginning of the month of April of the same year Algerian

national gendarmerie were able to arrest 469 illegal immigrants16

. This fact reveals the scary

growth of this phenomenon with people disregarding the laws and risking their lives in pursuit of

European paradise.

b) Morocco :

Although destination of Moroccan illegal immigrants (Spain) is different than Tunisian

ones, both countries still suffer from the same problem which is the existence of illegal

immigration. To face this dilemma, Moroccan authorities seek to limit the risks and damages

caused by this problem through seeking closer coordination and cooperation with their Spanish

counterparts. Common Attempts by both Moroccan and Spanish governments to reduce illegal

migration include; the reallocation of several Spanish industries to the south of the

Mediterranean, increasing Spanish investments in Moroccan lands and training of potential

migrants before allowing them to migrate to Europe based on their qualifications.17

Back in October3, 1996, Morocco and Spain declared new approaches to fight the

problem of illegal immigration. Both countries announced the desire to create “joint

15

Same source 16

Illegal immigration plagues Algeria: Magharebia(2005). http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2005/08/24/feature-02 17

Moha Ennaji : Illegal Migration from Morocco to Europe: University of Fes. http://international.metropolis.net/events/Metromed/Ennaji_e.pdf

15

commissions” for the purpose of studying the problems of illegal immigration and drug

smuggling towards Spanish land.18

More recently in 2010, the secretary general of Morocco’s foreign ministry,

Youssef Amrani, held a press conference and announced the efficient results in regard to

cooperation between Morocco and Spain in their fight against illegal immigration. He added that

following his meeting with the Spanish secretary of state for immigration, Anna Terron I Cusi,

they both cheered up the substantial decrease of the number of illegal immigrants in the last two

years. He also renewed both countries commitment to seeking further consultations and

coordination to fight this dilemma. On her part, Terron said that the reunion was a reflection of

an excellent bilateral relation connecting Morocco with Spain and showing both parts common

concerns and interest in solving a local problem that has outside implications. She also

mentioned that further meetings will be conducted to organize migratory flows in this time of

global economic crisis and handle the situation of illegal immigrants with Moroccan origins who

settled in Spanish land19

.

c) Mexico :

In Mexico, although it is geographically remote from Tunisia, it does suffer from the

same problem; which is illegal immigration towards United States soil. To counter this

phenomenon Mexican authorities adopted certain rules and regulations. These procedures also

help to ease the pressure on United States-Mexican relations. They come also in accordance to

the principle of Mexican foreign policy which range from; respect for international law, respect

for the sovereignty of the state and the promotion of collective security. Mexican immigrants

18

Migration news: Morocco and Spain to Fight illegal immigration (1996). http://migration.ucdavis.edu/mn/more.php?id=1079_0_4_0 19

Morocco-Spain Cooperation in Fight against Illegal Immigration 'Efficient': The free library(2010). http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Morocco-Spain+Cooperation+in+Fight+against+Illegal+Immigration...-a0230114636

16

who enter the USA illegally jeopardize these norms and values promoted by their state and since

the 1960’s the number of illegal immigrants towards the US soil went up to an average that

ranges between 300,000 and 500,000 individuals per year20

.

Inter-Press Service(IPS) reported that, In response to this growing phenomenon, the head

administrator of the Mexican Super intendancy of Tax administration, Raul Diaz, declared the

intention of the Mexican government to build a wall in the border state of Chiapas along the

Mexican/Guatemalan border. The decision came under the pretext of preventing the free passage

of illegal immigrants21

.

Simultaneously, in accordance with the Mexican government, the United States initiated

in 2005, a program known as Secure Border Initiative (SBI) under the supervision of the

department of Homeland security (DHS). The aim of this project is to secure Mexican- American

borders by building fences and installing radars and surveillance cameras to monitor all

suspicious actions of illegal immigrations and drug smuggling. This project is intended to

facilitate the work of border patrols in identifying possible threats of security breaches in regard

to the penetration of Mexicans to US territory in an illegal manner22

. Despite all these preventive

measures, the number of Mexican illegal immigrants keeps on growing at an alarming rate.

Therefore, this reflects the inefficiency of this deterrent approach and the need to rethink the

strategies adopted and the projects implemented to face this problem.

20

U.S Library of Congress: Mexico’s relation with the United States. http://countrystudies.us/mexico/93.htm 21

Robbie Cooper: Urban Grounds( 2010). http://urbangrounds.com/2010/09/mexico-hypocrites/ 22

US-Mexico Border fence: Global security(2011). http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/systems/mexico-wall.htm

17

4. Methodology proposed by this project:

a) Proposed solution:

So far, we have covered the issue of illegal immigration in terms of its origins and its

numerous drawbacks on both; individuals and the society as a whole. We also learned in the

previous section what other states have done in an attempt to fix this problem. Despite their

frequent effort to fight this phenomenon, the approaches adopted and the policies implemented

by these countries reflect a relatively modest level of success. This is proven by the continuously

increased number of illegal immigrants from these countries.

In this paper, the proposed project is addressing this problem from a different angle. If we

are to consider illegal immigration as a disease, it is more effective to address its core causes

rather than its symptoms to properly cure it. Unfortunately most of the attitudes adopted by the

previous states are based on the principle of deterrence and imposing the force of law on angry

and frustrated young people. Tunisian youth are already willing to risk their life out of despair to

cross the sea in small fishing boats in pursuit of the “European paradise”. Therefore, they will

have no hesitation to break the law if that is what it is going to take for them to make their dream

a reality.

What Tunisian youth need is not more laws to add more restrictions and frustration to

their lives. In fact, what they need is very simple; awareness of the risks of illegal immigration

methods and understanding the misconceptions of the “European paradise”. This is the objective

of our project. We believe that the best way to reduce numbers of illegal immigrants is to

convince youth of the unworthiness of chasing a “European Paradise” that is full of risks and

may come with fatal results. Once we manage to remove the misconception of illegal

immigration as a gateway to have a better life, along with proper argumentation, chances that

18

people will show more interest in staying in their country will dramatically increase. Eventually,

lives can be saved as the level of awareness that will be spread among youth will serve as a

deterrent from illegal immigration rather than governmental harsh laws.

b) Targeted population:

This project will target people between the ages of 16 to 24 years old. The reason behind

choosing this age category is the fact that 24 is the typical age for a fresh university graduate.

Therefore this category of people is vulnerable towards the challenges they may face upon

getting a university degree. Getting a job in Tunisia can be a very difficult objective for a lot of

university graduates as we have seen in earlier sections. Therefore the disappointment and

frustration of same graduates, for not being able to find a job, may reflect badly on the younger

generation starting with those aged 16 and above.

Pupils at the age of sixteen, in normal conditions, are in a transitional phase from middle

school education to high school education. Since education in Tunisia is compulsory only until

the age of 16.23

Therefore most of these pupils are free to decide whether to continue their

education or drop out of school. It is natural that once these young pupils see the challenges that

university graduates have to face, they will develop a sense of hopelessness and resentment in

the educational system as they become convinced that they would probably face the same

unfortunate destiny; unemployment like their predecessors.

c) Description and objectives of the project:

The basic idea of the project is about informing the youth about the risks of illegal

immigration starting with the life-threatening situations they may face due to the use of small

23

United Nations: Convention on the rights of child(1995). http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/0/a5697e608de2426c412562de005217da?Opendocument

19

fishing boats to sail long distances across the Mediterranean heading for European land with no

safety measures at all. It also aims at correcting the youth misconception of the “European

paradise” since Europe do not necessarily offer youth what they expect; richness and better

quality of life. Additionally, this project will bring to the youth’s attention the opportunities that

exist in their home country; ranging from generous financial aid for university students to pursue

higher degree of education, to governmental vocational training system allocated to dropped out

pupils to shape their labor skills and qualifications to increase their chances in securing jobs

related to their respective skills. These choices may offer a much safer alternative for illegal

immigration.

Throughout the conduction of roundtable discussions with youth, we will be providing

them with an opportunity to reveal their concerns and give their opinion regarding the topic of

illegal immigration and why a big portion of these young people opt for a nearly “suicidal”

approach to improve their lives. Throughout this dialogue, we will reveal to this youth the major

unfortunate implications that this phenomenon leaves on the illegal immigrant at a preliminary

level, its impact on his family at a secondary level and finally, the price that society must pay for

this dangerous behavior. The project consists of; a series of awareness campaigns and roundtable

discussions to be held in local NGO’s and Universities across the major cities of Tunisia. The

awareness campaigns consist in; distributing flyers in public places; parks, bus and train stations,

libraries, etc. The flyers will include basic information about the risks related to illegal

immigration with further information to be revealed if the reader choses to attend the roundtable

discussion.

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5. Implementation mechanism:

a) Securing venue:

In terms of the implementation process of the project, at an early stage we will be

initiating contact with close civil society components; NGO’s and universities, to secure venue to

hold our roundtable discussion sessions and attract our audience. Once the necessary budget is

secured to ensure the implementation of the project, fliers will be distributed in public places;

parks, public libraries, sport facilities, cultural centers… They will contain brief information on

the topic of discussion “illegal immigration” along to date and place of the roundtable discussion

event where further information can be obtained.

Based on our previous experience, upon completion of two internships in different

regional NGOs; “SOS Children village” and “Tunisian Union for Solidarity” ( as part of my

MEPI TL program) , these institutions will be contacted to negotiate with them the possibility of

providing us a space where discussions with youth will be held. Once the place is secured, it will

host youth who dropped out of school at an early age, before reaching university level.

As for university students, we will be coordinating with some of the major Tunisian

universities located in the capital, since they hold the highest percentages of enrolled students. Of

course, considerations to proceed with other universities will be decided at a later stage. The link

with universities will be established through the student council of each university to secure all

proper logistic and administrative matters. Upon gaining the approval of universities to hold our

roundtable discussions in their facilities we will proceed immediately with the implementation of

the project with the students.

21

b) Activities:

Opinions and reflections:

Both audience; youth in NGOs and university students will be able to express their minds

about the issue of illegal immigration. Our audience will be given the space to speak about this

phenomenon; they are expected to provide personal reflections and explanations of whether

clandestine immigration to Europe is a result of the pursuit of better opportunities abroad to

escape a harsh reality in their home country or whether it is stirred by any other reason such as;

personal ambitions, or something else that they can share with us.

Power point presentation:

Following listening to our audience, we will project a power point presentation revealing

statistics about number of victims who sunk in the sea upon their failed attempt to cross the sea

illegally. Pictures of real unfortunate experience will be also provided to stress on the seriousness

of hazards that such an experience comes with. The aim of the presentation is to provide our

audience with a clear picture of what it really looks like to try crossing the Mediterranean in an

overcrowded small boat with no safety measures of whatsoever even as simple as a life jacket.

Guest speakers:

People who survived this risky experience and successfully returned home after being

rescued by coast guards will be invited as guest speakers during the session to share their

horrifying experiences with our audience as they came face to face with death in the sea. They

will stress the fact that not everyone makes it alive out of that journey as it does not end well for

most of the immigrants; either they die in the sea or they are captured by the authorities, if they

are lucky enough, to serve time in jail.

22

Implications of illegal immigration:

Upon getting the audience’s attention with the information provided by both the power

point presentation and the guest speakers as living proof of such life-threatening experience, we

will alter their attention towards the severe implications of the unfortunate deaths that occur

because of illegal immigration. Dying in the sea, in the pursuit of “European paradise”, first of

all would cost youth their lives as they become victims of their own illusion of a European

dream. Additionally, their death would render the life of their families a living hell full of

sufferance and regret in face of their incapability to do anything to save their kids. Not to forget

also, if we look at the issue on a bigger scale, the increased number of victims represents a great

loss for the Tunisian society as, if nothing is done to address the issue properly, our human

resource will suffer a great deal. After years of investing in education and skills crafting, those

who obtains academic degrees and those who possess valuable labor skills would die in vain in

the sea with no gain to their society that is counting on them to become tomorrow’s generation.

Alternatives proposed:

Although it is crucial to convince our audience that there is nothing good from illegal

immigration, it remains not enough. We need to provide them with alternatives to alter their

thinking away from this deadly choice and bring it closer to more constructive substitutes. For

university student, the argument will be that the fact that a lot has changed since the recent

popular uprising of 2010, many opportunities are on the table as the newly formed government is

allocating additional financial aid and student loans for university students to support their

studies in a better condition24

. Not to forget also that pursuing advanced degrees “Master, Ph.D.

24

Mehdi Zoughlami: Almasdar(2012). http://www.almasdar.tn/management/article-7792-

23

level” will tremendously increase their chances of finding satisfying jobs. As for those who

dropped out of school at an early age, we will bring to their attention the opportunities offered by

the government under its vocational training system; as it prepares youth, who left school at an

early age, to catch up on the job market by offering them valuable training in fields of their

interests ranging from crafts to more advanced professions that are crucial to both agricultural

and industrial sector.25

Assessment :

At the end of each session, our audience will be handed a brochure that summarizes most

of the material that we covered during the informative sessions and roundtable discussions. The

idea of providing these brochures is to serve as a reminder for these young people of the

objective of our project which is to spread awareness among youth of the risks of illegal

immigration methods and providing them with the truth hidden behind the misconceptions of the

“European paradise”. Before we dismiss our audience from the session, they will be asked to

provide us with their emails or any relevant contact information as we will be sending them a

survey. This survey will include questions that are set to determine the level of tolerance and

willingness of youth in regard to illegal immigration and whether they would still consider it as a

choice to have a better quality of life and securing better financial status. Based on their

feedback, we will be able to assess the level of success of our sessions and what we need to focus

on in the coming ones in order to address our audience in a more efficient and convincing way.

25

Tunisian Ministry of Vocational Training and Employment.(2012) http://www.emploi.gov.tn

24

III) Conclusion:

In conclusion of our research, we tried to provide a clear illustration of the problem of

illegal immigration, its causes, implications and the way it is addressed in different countries.

This objective study aimed at accommodating this phenomenon with a personal initiative that we

perceive as an initial step into resolving this problem. The number of victims of illegal

immigrants is growing at an alarming rate. Therefore, actions need to be taken immediately in

order to save our youth since they are the pillars of our future. Despite the simplicity and

modesty of our proposed initial solution to fight illegal immigration, it seems very promising

since it addresses the roots of our problem. All great changes are born from an idea. In our case,

what we are suggesting; is to plant awareness and hope in our misguided youth so that they

restore their faith in their country. That way, they become productive citizens of the society and

bring hope to reduce the gap between developed and less developed countries into reality, rather

than chasing the illusion of “European paradise”.

25

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