I emigrated from Tunisia to Europe in search of a better life. But I wasn’t happy there, so I returned to Tunisia. Support from the CTA enabled me to fulfil my dream and start a business breeding livestock.

My name is Montassar and I'm 39 years old. I come from the rural community of El Amra near Sfax in Tunisia. I’m married and have three children. I was unemployed and couldn't support my family, so I decided to emigrate to Europe in 2021. That was right in the middle of the Covid pandemic.

Non-legal migration meant a difficult life abroad

I spent a total of nine months in Europe, but couldn’t find a job or any worthwhile prospects there. At first I lived in Italy and then moved on to France. The conditions there were very bad. I experienced many difficult situations and decided to go to Germany. I missed my family a lot, so I didn’t feel good there, either. I decided to return to Tunisia and while I was still in Germany an advisor told me about the services provided by the German-Tunisian Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (CTA) in Tunisia. The team of advisors in Germany also asked me about my skills and vocational interests so that they could give me more support. I come from a farming family, so I wanted to start my own project in this area and become self-employed – I wanted to start a business breeding livestock.

A new chapter in my home country

I wasn’t in good physical health when I returned to Tunisia – I was exhausted. I registered with the CTA and contacted Médecins du Monde. They took care of me and also supported me with lots of tips. We still keep in touch.

The CTA helped me prepare the required project documents. After our conversation in the local The Office for Tunisians Abroad my project was approved. This means that I’ll continue to be supported. I began the livestock breeding training straight away and started with other preparations. I built a barn for the cows, for example. The CTA gave me two cows and a milking pump.