This policy report from the Andalus Committee's MENA Center examines the structural drivers of irregular migration from Tunisia and the limitations of current EU–Tunisia cooperation frameworks. While migration flows across the Mediterranean are often treated through a security lens, the report finds they are primarily driven by deep socioeconomic pressures, including high youth unemployment, widespread labor informality, and persistent regional inequalities. Despite over a decade of EU engagement, policy responses have remained fragmented and heavily focused on border management, with insufficient attention to the underlying economic conditions shaping migration decisions. The report identifies key gaps in current approaches, including the limited integration of labor market policy with migration governance and the neglect of territorial disparities. It proposes a shift toward more balanced, incentive-based cooperation that prioritizes job creation, labor formalization, and regionally inclusive development, reframing migration policy as a tool for long-term structural stability rather than short-term containment.