From Forced Emigration to Defensive Naturalization: A Study of the Case of Tunisian Skilled Workers
Introduction
Modern states may be divided into two categories: emigration states (countries of departure) and immigration states (host countries or countries of destination). This is particularly evident in the Mediterranean region, where long-standing colonial relations have transformed into tangible borders between countries. On one side of the border, mobility is guaranteed for citizens. On the other side, mobility is a matter of privilege and social standing.
The purpose of this general observation is not to dispel the nuances between these categories or between states in terms of immigration and mobility, but rather to highlight the importance of this distinction, which stems from the legacy of relations between former colonial powers and newly independent countries. At present, this predicament persists in deteriorating, exemplifying the anguish connected to migration and the belligerent mechanisms embedded in a development model centered on borders: in the Global North, a select workforce contributes to a highly structured economy; whereas in the Global South, wealth is frequently squandered, except when considering the remittances received by the families of migrants.
In this article, we examine the case of a target demographic for migration strategies devised by European governments that have chosen to implement selective immigration, specifically selecting skilled workers from the Global South. Our hypothesis holds that these policies can only be effectively implemented if there is a willingness among skilled individuals to emigrate to the North. For the aforementioned individuals, this emigration would be driven by multiple constraints, but particularly by border hardening and the introduction of selection mechanisms. This is further compounded by the risk of being trapped indefinitely within a society suffering the structural dysfunction of its economic services at a time of crisis for the post-colonial state.
Our analysis shall be guided by two questions:
• First question: How is the emigration of elites and skilled workers perceived by the societies they are leaving?
In order to address this question, we identified two subquestions;
1. Has the state been made aware of the issue of skilled workers emigrating?
2. What are the perspectives of the individuals we interviewed who fall into this category on their motivations for migrating to Europe?
• Second question: How do the migration mechanisms established in the North– within the framework of colonial and industrial policies– infiltrate the most intimate aspects of individuals’ lives in the South, compelling skilled workers to opt for emigration despite its heavy toll?
More specifically, what mechanisms trigger “anguish about staying”? What propels a fervent desire to leave among those who are regarded as national elites and the builders of the modern nation-states in the Global South?
