Trade and Migration, Are they Complements or Substitutes: A Review of Four MENA Countries

This study reviews two types of migration flows within the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region and investigates their relationship with trade. The first type reviewed is the traditional South-North migration and its relationship with trade. The second type is the South-South migration and its relationship with trade. Four countries from the MENA region, representing four different case studies, are investigated. Tunisia and Morocco represent the South-North model in their trade and migration relationships with the European Union (EU) and Egypt and Jordan represent the South-South model in their trade and migration relationships with other countries in the MENA region. The study revealed that neither South-South migration nor South-North migration can be correlated to trade flows in any deterministic behavior. To overcome the chronic economic problems faced by most of the countries in the MENA region especially those related to the unemployment problem and to make use of the conventional wisdom of trade as a substitution for migration, the study recommends several policies that can be adopted on the local, regional and international levels.