The purpose of this policy brief is to identify and explain the push factors behind the phenomenon of Arab Mediterranean youth migration. The document highlights the importance of push factors of an economic nature and argues that the desire to migrate does not depend on the education level and the (un)employment of the young people. This analysis on the intentions and motivations behind emigration provides interesting insights for policy makers both in origin and destination countries.

This Policy Brief was written in the framework of the EuroMeSCo Working Package “Mapping Migration Challenges in the EU Transit and Destination Countries”, led by the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade.