Brain drain threatens Tunisia's national security, says MP Riadh Jaidane
via Business News6 min read
Riadh Jaidane, a member of parliament and president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, Tunisians Abroad, and Migration, stated on June 22, 2026, that the increasing emigration of highly skilled professionals, including doctors and engineers, poses a national security threat to Tunisia. Speaking on Jawhara FM's Sbeh El Ward, Jaidane highlighted that this "hemorrhage of skills" weakens strategic sectors and jeopardizes the country's development prospects. He emphasized that the brain drain is not merely a migratory phenomenon but a significant loss for national development, affecting sensitive sectors. Jaidane noted that Tunisia is losing its elite, trained at public expense, who then contribute their expertise to other economies, particularly in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Gulf countries. He cited that approximately 7,000 engineers leave Tunisia annually, with the state spending around 650 million dinars on their training. This aligns with alerts from the Order of Engineers, which reported 46,000 engineers left in ten years, with 6,700 departures in 2022 alone. In the medical sector, about 4,000 doctors emigrated between 2022 and 2026, adding to the 6,000 who left between 2017 and 2024, according to the Order of Physicians. These departures are attributed to insufficient public sector recruitment, blocked career prospects, deteriorating working conditions, and the private sector's inability to absorb new graduates. Jaidan
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