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Migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa in Tunisia: A Storm in a Teacup?

Author

Listed:
  • Mohamed Amara

    (University of Tunis)

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of sub-Saharan African immigrants on the Tunisian labor market, as well as their economic, social, and psychological integration pat- terns, with a focus on the migration influx since the Tunisian uprising of 2010-11. Using annual micro-level household labor force surveys and data from the last two population censuses on the concentration of immigrants by country of origin, we identify the impact of sub-Saharan Africans on the Tunisian labor market. Furthermore, the pa- per uses the first Tunisia Households International Migration Survey (Tunisia-HIMS) to understand the labor market results of sub-Saharan immigrants and their social integration compared to immigrants of other origin. Using a difference-in-differences (DiD) research design, we find a negative and significant immediate impact of sub- Saharan immigrants on the average annual earnings of local workers in micro-firms in the retail trade and food service sectors between 2011 and 2014. After 2014, there is a significant negative impact on employment in low value-added sectors, particularly in the building sector. The results of the Multidimensional Integration Index show that social and psychological integration is particularly challenging for sub-Saharan immigrants, especially for young people, the uneducated and women.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohamed Amara, 2025. "Migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa in Tunisia: A Storm in a Teacup?," Working Papers 1815, Economic Research Forum, revised 15 Dec 2025.
    • Handle: RePEc:erg:wpaper:1815
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Aksu, Ege & Erzan, Refik & Kırdar, Murat Güray, 2022. "The impact of mass migration of Syrians on the Turkish labor market," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
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