Irregular migration from and through Tunisia is on the rise, as a growing number of migrants from the Maghreb head to Europe and an increasing flow of people from sub-Saharan Africa transit or stop there. This year has witnessed an alarming escalation of irregular maritime migration via this dangerous central Mediterranean route. Not only have the numbers of people attempting the journey grown, but they have also become more diverse, in terms of age, socio-economic status, and gender.
To help understand the current migration dynamics and their broader implications, the Middle East Institute (MEI) is pleased to invite you to join a virtual panel discussion featuring several experts on migration policy and Tunisia.
Speakers
Hamza Bessioud
Senior coordinator on the migration programme at IPA Switxboard
Sameh Bouchniba
Civil society activist
Ghassen Dridi
Researcher on African Union laws and policies specialized in migration
Jean-Louis Romanet Perroux, moderator
Director & Co-founder, North African Policy Initiative (NAPI)
Detailed Speaker Bios
Hamza Bessioud
Hamza Bessioud is a senior coordinator on the migration program at IPA (Innovation and Planning Agency) Switxboard. His previous work included Regional project coordinator at Coffey International Development, project assistant at International Organization for Migration (IOM), project coordinator at Search for Common Ground, and several positions at I WATCH. He has been working on humanitarian and development projects at respected organizations for more than nine years. He has designed several local, regional, and international programs relating to humanitarian response, migration, peace, and security.
Sameh Bouchniba
Sameh Bouchniba has been working in the center for migrants, refugees, and Asylum seekers. She was also actively involved in the program of restoring family links and tracing with the international committee of the Red Cross/Tunisian Red Crescent. Currently, she is the finance and HR director for Amal association in Medenine, which focuses on migration issues.
Ghassen Dridi
Ghassen Dridi has eight years of experience working on migration issues. He is a former junior advisor to the Tunisian president and co-founder and former executive director of the African Leadership and Development Association (ALDA). He is currently a researcher on African Union policies working as senior IT analyst and consultant on migration.
Jean-Louis Romanet Perroux, moderator
Jean-Louis Romanet Perroux is a social entrepreneur and a researcher and advisor on international cooperation and development. He is the director of the North African Policy Initiative. Jean-Louis has over 20 years of hands-on experience in program design and implementation, in training and coaching students and activists, and in conducting action-oriented research and strategic evaluations in the fields of civil society, local governance, security, violent extremism, human trafficking and smuggling, migration, health, water, corruption, youth, and women empowerment. Jean-Louis has worked in the DRC, Guinea, Mali, Tunisia, Morocco, and Libya with more than 30 national and international organizations.
Photo by Anadolu Agency via Getty Images