Tunisia Southern-Eastern borderland has experienced successive shocks and crisis since 2011, undermining the livelihoods of border populations. While the security situation has deteriorated, the militarization of the border has contributed to exacerbate hardship and social unrest in the region. The qualitative research is based on field data collected in Ben Guerdane, Remada and Dehiba, three border cities in South-Eastern Tunisia. It provides an understanding on how development and security imperatives collide, and it advocates for a better balance between the two through a new paradigm that would prioritize human security and development.