Lorenzo Ghione

My research project analyses Tunisia-EU relations on migration since 2011. I investigate how the development and implementation of migration policies tap into Tunis's changing foreign policy structure and interests. If the externalisation of European borders has attracted considerable academic interest, political and policy dynamics in the Global South have been somewhat less studied. I analyse the intersections between Tunisian migration politics and its foreign policy-making, its relations with the democratic/authoritarian political regime, and the ensuing bargaining dynamics -- especially vis-à-vis Brussels. Starting with the 2011 ousting of the dictator Ben Ali, the thesis relates developments in Tunisian migration policy to (1) the shifts in the political regime from dictatorship to a fragmented democracy (2011-2021) to an imperfect autocracy (2021-), and to (2) the growing EU pressures to contain migration in what currently amounts to the most significant departure point for migrants trying to reach European shores.