Tunisia and Italy will sign a new agreement on April 13, 2026, to facilitate legal labor mobility for young Tunisian workers, Minister of Employment and Vocational Training Riadh Chaoued announced Tuesday. Speaking at the launch of the Thamm Plus program’s new phase in France, Chaoued said the initiative now extends to multiple EU countries under agreements with the International Organization for Migration.
The first phase (2022-2025) placed over 500 Tunisians in French sectors facing labor shortages, including agriculture, industry, and tourism, while 1,000 more received supplementary training. The new phase, running through 2030, targets agriculture, caregiving, transport, logistics, industry, and hospitality.
A 2024 agreement already paved the way for 2,000 Tunisian construction workers to enter Italy. The upcoming pact adds industrial maintenance, ICT, and agriculture. Chaoued noted that diversification efforts have yielded job offers for over 15 young Tunisians in Austria’s tourism sector.
Italy faces a rapidly aging workforce—nearly one in four citizens above working age—while Tunisia’s young, educated population struggles with high unemployment. The World Bank has identified 48 critical occupations with shortages on both sides, with agri-food seen as the most promising for “Global Skills Partnerships.”
Key hurdles remain: Italian visa approvals can take up to 12 months, while Tunisia needs to digitize job matching and align training with international standards. The model aims for a “triple win”—benefiting origin and destination countries and migrants themselves—turning migration from an emergency into a structural lever for Mediterranean growth.
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