Youth Emigration in the Mediterranean: push and pull factors Elena Sánchez-Montijano, SAHWA Scientific Coordinator, CIDOB @ESMontijano Cairo, 05-06 December 2016
General Results The compulsory choice The lack of job opportunities, poverty, prices getting higher everyday All that push people to migrate (EG_FG_1) The fantasy of migrate There, it is in colour, whereas here is in black and white (DZ_FE_1)
General Results Irregular migration (Harqa) Youth who choose harqa are right! They are disgusted! What would you like them to do? There is no more work! That's why they try al harqa, you see madam! The Tunisians problem is jobs, I tried everything to work! No results! My parents spent a lot of money so that I can work. (TN_FG_2) Harqa is considered by non-educated poor young people. But also by the well-educated middle class.
General Results Legal migration Legal emigration? Oh yes! That s my wish! I like to see life elsewhere in a different environment, see other traditions; I am tired of living here (TN_LS_5) It is the dream, but it is only seen as a real possibility by the well-educated middle class youth.
General Results Most young people has never been abroad 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 1% 2% 5% 1% 5% Algeria Egypt Lebanon Morocco Tunisia
Wish to re/emigrate - Algeria Would you like to emigrate or re-emigrate? 100% Education level 26% No Undecided Yes 75% 50% 68% 71% 68% 67% 5% 69% 25% 28% 25% 27% 27% 0% Primary Middle Secondary/int Higher In Algeria, youth of all education levels wish to emigrate
Wish to re/emigrate - Egypt Would you like to emigrate or re-emigrate? No Undecided Yes 100% 75% Education level 2% 18% 50% 84% 90% 78% 76% 80% 25% 0% 15% 19% 21% 9% Primary Middle Secondary/int Higher In Egypt, youth with secondary and higher education are slightly over the average (18%)
Wish to re/emigrate - Lebanon Would you like to emigrate or re-emigrate? 100% Education level 3% No Undecided Yes 16% 75% 50% 66% 84% 84% 79% 81% 25% 0% 33% 14% 14% 17% Primary Middle Secondary/int Higher Lebanon is an exception, because it is youth with primary education only who comparatively wish to emigrate the most (33%, doubling the country average of 16%)
Wish to re/emigrate- Morocco Would you like to emigrate or reemigrate? 100% Education level No Undecided Yes 7% 8% 75% 50% 87% 81% 85% 85% 85% 25% 8% 8% 0% 5% 7% 10% 11% 8% 5% Primary Middle Secondary/int Higher Morocco has the smallest % in wish to emigrate and the biggest % of undecision, in all education levels.
Wish to re/emigrate - Tunisia Would you like to emigrate or re-emigrate? 100% Education level No Undecided Yes 75% 61% 49% 43% 38% 50% 53% 45% 25% 37% 50% 56% 59% 2% 0% Primary Middle Secondary/int Higher In Tunisia, the more educated the youth are, the more they wish to emigrate (up to 59% of the Tunisian highly educated wish to emigrate)
Wish to emigrate: students and housewives Yes Undecided No ALGERIA 71% 25% Yes Undecided No ALGERIA 89% TUNISIA 61% 38% 21% 77% EGYPT 12% 84% TUNISIA 76% 23% 10% 6% 8% 93% EGYPT LEBANON 91% LEBANON
Wish to emigrate: un/employed Yes Undecided No ALGERIA Unemployed 61% 33% TUNISIA 55% 43% 26% 15% 82% EGYPT Yes Undecided No ALGERIA Employed 71% 68% LEBANON 25% TUNISIA 51% 47% 25% 71% EGYPT 22% 76% LEBANON
Wish to emigrate Education and labour profiles - Youth of all education levels wish to emigrate: similar patterns - Highly educated youth (university) willingness differ from country to country, from the least keen Lebanese (17%) to the extremely keen Tunisian (59%) - Housewives are the most unwilling group to emigrate in all four countries - Unemployment is not a determinant of emigration; there is no direct correlation - More unemployed in Algeria and Tunisia - More employed in Lebanon and Egypt
What pushes them to go? What attracts them? Main push and pull factors - Economic/labour reasons: lack of opportunities and labour conditions, poor living conditions, help their families - Education and training opportunities - Welfare state: social protection - Attractive life style; scape family pressure; culture - Family/friends abroad - Political instability/context
Push factors - Algeria Lack of opportunities to gain experience 22% Poor living conditions To help my family 17% 21% 61% Lack of professional opportunities in this country The opportunities for study and training are inadequate Income in this country is lower than abroad 11% 10% 13% To escape family pressure and problems 6% Political and security circumstances 0 Other 0 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Push factors- Egypt Lack of professional opportunities in this country 48% Income in this country is lower than abroad Poor living conditions 11% 26% 90% To help my family The opportunities for study and training are inadequate Other Lack of opportunities to gain experience To escape family pressure and problems Political and security circumstances 5% 5% 2% 2% 1% 0% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Push factors - Lebanon To escape family pressure and problems 27% Income in this country is lower than abroad Poor living conditions 19% 26% 49% Other 15% The opportunities for study and training are inadequate 9% To help my family Lack of professional opportunities in this country Lack of opportunities to gain experience Political and security circumstances 4% 0 0 0 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Push factors - Morocco Lack of professional opportunities in this country Poor living conditions To help my family Income in this country is lower than abroad 20% 18% 16% 16% 70% To escape family pressure and problems Lack of opportunities to gain experience The opportunities for study and training are inadequate 9% 9% 9% Political and security circumstances Other 3% 0% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Push factors - Tunisia Lack of professional opportunities in this country 34% Poor living conditions 21% The opportunities for study and training are inadequate Income in this country is lower than abroad 12% 12% 72% Lack of opportunities to gain experience To help my family To escape family pressure and problems Other Political and security circumstances 5% 5% 4% 4% 3% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Push factors Four labour/economic reasons: Lack of professional opportunities; Poor living conditions; Low income; Help my family. - Lebanon: 49% - Algeria: 61% % - Morocco 70% - Tunisia: 72% - Egypt: 90% But also: - Gain experience, education, training (Algeria 33%) - Attractive life style; scape family pressure; culture (Lebanon 27%)
Pull factors - Algeria My skills will be more highly valued 24% I want to live abroad Attracted by the way of life 17% 18% 47% Attracted by the social advantages I want to discover other countries 12% 16% 43% I can study there 6% Rejoin my family/friends 4% I have a job opportunity to seize 3% Other 0% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Pull factors - Egypt I have a job opportunity to seize 23% Attracted by the social advantages 21% 49% Attracted by the way of life I want to live abroad 17% 17% 38% Rejoin my family/friends 8% My skills will be more highly valued 5% I can study there 4% I want to discover other countries 4% Other 1% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Pull factors - Lebanon Attracted by the way of life My skills will be more highly valued 21% 21% 43% I want to live abroad Attracted by the social advantages 15% 16% 40% I can study there 9% Rejoin my family/friends 7% I want to discover other countries 6% I have a job opportunity to seize 4% Other 1% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Pull factors - Morocco I want to live abroad 22% I want to discover other countries Attracted by the way of life 14% 19% 55% Rejoin my family/friends 13% Attracted by the social advantages I can study there 8% 9% 24% My skills will be more highly valued 8% I have a job opportunity to seize 7% Other 0% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Pull factors - Tunisia I want to discover other countries 26% Attracted by the way of life I want to live abroad 20% 25% 71% Attracted by the social advantages 8% I can study there 6% 14% Rejoin my family/friends 5% My skills will be more highly valued 4% Other 4% I have a job opportunity to seize 2% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Pull factors The young people looks for something else, not only for money (DZ_FG_9) Life style, adventure, discovery - Egypt: 38% - Lebanon: 43% - Algeria: 47% - Morocco 55% - Tunisia: 71% % Labour opportunities - Tunisia: 14% - Morocco 24% - Lebanon: 40% - Algeria: 43% - Egypt: 49% % - Education and training opportunities - Social protection - Family/friends abroad
Where? Attractive destination countries They (the youth) want to go to Europe because that is where they will get a better chance (MA_FG_1) Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia: -France comes first (historical ties, language, family members, living standards) -Germany, Italy, Austria and United Kingdom are also attractive destination countries Egypt and Lebanon: -EUA, Canada, Australia -Persian Gulf Countries: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates -Also France and Germany