At the edge: Trends and routes of North African clandestine migrants

The document analyzes the patterns of clandestine migration from North Africa to Europe, noting that while North Africans are a smaller group than sub-Saharan migrants, they are often innovators of new smuggling routes. It identifies three primary corridors: the central Mediterranean (increasingly popular via Libya), the eastern Mediterranean (via Turkey and the Balkans), and the western Mediterranean (declining due to security). The author argues that migration is primarily driven by economic desperation and youth unemployment rather than conflict, and that securitized border responses fail to address these root causes.

• In 2015, over 16,000 migrants from Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco were apprehended by border authorities in Spain, Italy, and Greece.
• The primary motivation for North African clandestine migration is the search for economic opportunity and a better future, rather than fleeing violence, as evidenced by the fact that most migrants hail from Morocco, which has not faced internal conflict.
• High youth unemployment rates persist across the Maghreb, with urban youth unemployment in Morocco reaching nearly 40% and Algerian youth unemployment growing to 29.9% by late 2015.
• The central Mediterranean corridor became the favored route for North African clandestine migrants in early 2016, with 2,017 Tunisians, Algerians, or Moroccans apprehended by Italian authorities in the first six months of that year.
• Libya has become a critical smuggling hub due to its 'lawless territory' and poor border security, with smugglers increasingly using less seaworthy craft to navigate migrants just far enough into international waters to be rescued by search-and-rescue missions.
• The eastern Mediterranean corridor, involving travel to Turkey and then through the Balkans, was the most popular route in 2015, but saw a sharp decline in 2016 following an agreement between the EU and Turkey.
• The western Mediterranean corridor has seen a sharp decline in use due to heightened security and information sharing between Spain and Morocco.
• A significant number of North African migrants enter Europe legally using Schengen visas and then overstay, a method preferred by those who wish to avoid the risks of clandestine travel.
• Some North African migrants in the eastern Mediterranean corridor attempt to claim Syrian nationality to increase their chances of being granted asylum in Europe, with nearly 40% of assumed Moroccans doing so in 2015-2016.
• North African governments have focused on securitizing borders to maintain bilateral relations with Europe, but have failed to address the underlying socio-economic drivers of migration, potentially increasing the risk of social instability and radicalization.

APA

Herbert, M. (2016). At the edge: Trends and routes of North African clandestine migrants. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper298.pdf

Chicago

Herbert, Matthew. At the edge: Trends and routes of North African clandestine migrants. Institute for Security Studies, 2016. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper298.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Herbert |first1=Matthew |title=At the edge: Trends and routes of North African clandestine migrants |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=November 2016 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper298.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{herbert2016edge, author = {Herbert, Matthew}, title = {{At the edge: Trends and routes of North African clandestine migrants}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2016}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper298.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }