Member states: Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia
The Arab Maghreb Union comprises five North African countries. Since AMU counts such a small number of member states—smaller than any other REC—changes in individual country scores can have a relatively large impact on the region’s score.
One of AMU’s objectives is to free the movement of persons, but AMU’s average AVOI score is slightly ahead of the score of only one other REC, ECCAS. This was also the case in 2022.
Alone among AMU member states, Mauritania ranks among Africa’s top 10 again this year. Although Morocco’s score improved in 2023, Algeria’s remained unchanged and Tunisia’s declined.
Tunisia is the second-highest ranked country in AMU again this year. Like Algeria, it is particularly open to travel by the citizens of fellow AMU members.
The visa regime of several AMU member states is far more open to countries within AMU than to countries elsewhere on the continent. With a visa-free reciprocity score of 60%, AMU ranks in the upper half of RECs in terms of member countries allowing each other’s citizens visa-free entry. AMU’s regional reciprocity score has not changed since last year. Of all AMU members, Mauritania ranks highest on the AVOI, but its visa openness is only reciprocated by two countries within the bloc. Tunisia enjoys the highest level of visa-free reciprocity within AMU, allowing visa-free entry to all AMU members and enjoying the same in return. Algeria’s visa-free reciprocity score follows Tunisia’s: Algeria offers visa-free entry to all AMU members, three of which reciprocate.
