Overview

• Since the EU-Tunisia migration pact two years ago, authorities have dismantled provisional camps in Tunis and Sfax under expanded security measures.
• Official Italian figures show departures from Tunisia plunging nearly 80% last year, with similar declines continuing into early 2025.
• The Tunisian Coast Guard, equipped with EU resources, has stepped up maritime patrols and imposed harsher penalties on smugglers.
• Stuck in transit, migrants earn minimal wages through informal jobs such as car washing for about €4.20 per half day or collecting plastic bottles in suburbs like Marsa.
• About 3,500 irregular migrants have taken IOM-organized return flights home so far this year, reflecting dwindling crossing options and rising voluntary repatriation.