The brain drain is a phenomenon that affects not only Tunisia but also, and especially, many other African countries. Because of its proximity to Europe and for obvious historical reasons, nationals of Maghreb countries mainly go to work in France.
The countries that welcome these graduates benefit from this windfall that falls from the sky and for which they have not paid a single cent. Some countries have developed entire strategies, methods, and special procedures to attract young graduates. Due to globalization and competition, companies in turn have invented strategies for headhunting skills and recruiting talent.
In the long run, the loss of these skills can become, for the country of origin, a real hemorrhage that bleeds it dry, deprives it of its competences, and prevents it from achieving its development plans.
6,000 engineers leave Tunisia every year!
The dean of Tunisian engineers, Mohsen Ghersi, declared that 6,000 engineers leave Tunisia each year, specifying that the total number of engineers who have emigrated reaches about 45,000 out of 110,000 registered engineers.
In an interview given to Mosaïque FM, Ghersi described this figure as “worrying,” emphasizing that Tunisian skills are highly sought after in Europe, Canada, and certain Asian countries.
According to him, the main risk concerns the exodus of engineers from the public sector, notably those working in institutions such as SONEDE.
The dean pointed to low salary levels as the main cause of this flight, stating:
“It is unacceptable to offer between 600 and 700 dinars to a young engineer, or to entrust someone with multimillion-dinar projects while they earn only 1,500 dinars.”
He called on the President of the Republic to initiate legislation setting a salary reference for the engineering profession, adding that “Tunisia trains skills that it offers as gifts to other countries, which benefit from their expertise.”
Harmful Effects on the Tunisian Economy
According to economic experts, the brain drain of Tunisians has a direct effect on the country’s economy: the depreciation of human capital, and therefore the reduction of economic growth, due to the lost potential income for Tunisia.
However, the brain drain that some countries lament becomes a brain gain for the countries that benefit from it.
They affirmed that this new line of thinking has led a growing number of developing countries to consider their skilled diaspora as an asset (and not a loss) that can be beneficial for their development.
Moreover, many observers affirm that knowledge or technology transfers are the main pathway for developing countries, in which highly qualified emigrants have a major role to play.
This phenomenon is marked by the growing number of Tunisian executives abroad and their increasing feminization. The departure of these high-potential individuals is less to be seen as a loss than as a gain for Tunisia.
These executives constitute a reservoir of skills, as shown by a study carried out before 2011.
In the post-revolutionary period that has begun in Tunisia, only the long term will confirm this dynamic in the service of the development of their country of origin (…).
