300 km on foot.. A march for holders of higher degrees in Tunisia demanding jobs

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After many years of waiting, dozens of holders of higher degrees in Tunisia have chosen to turn their suffering with unemployment into a long march on foot towards the Carthage Palace, in an attempt to pressure for the implementation of a law that is supposed to open the door for them to be recruited in the public sector.

The march began yesterday, Sunday, from the town of Manzel Bou Ziane in the Sidi Bou Zid governorate, in the center of the country, heading towards the presidential palace in Carthage, in a journey on foot that extends for about 300 kilometers, with unemployed individuals participating, supported by their families, in a movement that carries a clear message that the years of waiting can no longer tolerate further delays.

Wiam Othmani, one of the participants in the march, stated that they were forced to undertake this action after a long "marathon" of local and regional protests demanding their employment, and after their years of unemployment have dragged on, adding that heading to the Carthage Palace and meeting President Kais Saied represents their "last chance."

She explained that their demand is to implement Law No. 18 and to start this year with the recruitment of the first batch of holders of higher degrees who have faced prolonged unemployment, affirming that "their demand is one, which is employment."

This concerns a law that was issued in December 2025, which stipulates the recruitment of higher education graduates who have been unemployed for a long time, in batches and according to criteria that determine priorities.

Under the law, priority is given, based on ranking criteria, to those over 40 years old and those who have graduated more than 10 years ago, along with other criteria related to social status and the recruitment of one member from each family.

However, months have passed since the law was issued without the actual recruitment process starting, leaving a wide segment of potential beneficiaries in a state of waiting and anxiety, prompting them to intensify their protest movements in the capital and several provinces, demanding the implementation of this law.

In this context, Wafa Al-Gharbi, a holder of higher degrees who has faced years of unemployment, stated that they have reached a stage where waiting is no longer possible, after years spent searching for a job.

She added in a statement to "Al-Arabiya.net" and "Al-Hadath.net" that the years of unemployment were not just a waiting period for work, but rather "years of life wasted," noting that she has knocked on various doors and engaged in repeated protest movements with others but to no avail.

She confirmed that she was optimistic about the issuance of Law No. 18, considering it a step that could end years of waiting and open the door for them to be appointed, but the slow implementation procedures have revived their fears of continued unemployment.