It is always sunny in the South. Stories of Italian retirees in Tunisia

Abstract

The longevity, the desire to age actively and to project oneself into a new existence, finally dedicating time to oneself, to interpersonal relationships, possibly in a place in the sun, low cost flights, the tax exemption of pensions present in some countries, the economic crisis that has affected Italy for over a decade are just some of the many factors that influence the international retirement migration of Italians in the recent period. This contribution analyzes the migration of Italian pensioners to Tunisia with the aim of shedding light on the causes of it and on the balance of their lives in the land of jasmine which, historically, has welcomed an important community of Italians. In line with other studies that investigate the international retirement migration to other areas of the world, the contribution shows that the flows of Italian pensioners to Tunisia, in particular to its coastal cities, are part of a North-South migration that is taking place on a global scale and which exploits the geographic differences in the economy, the cost of living and the freedom of movement in order to spend the third age in an active and comfortable way.