On Thursday, Senegal unveiled a 10-year plan to address the issue of illegal migration, responding to a recent increase in migrant-related deaths.
The country’s new National Strategy to Combat Irregular Migration (SNLMI), as declared by Interior Minister Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome, aims to “drastically reduce the phenomenon by 2033.”
Minister Diome stressed the need to intensify their efforts and set new targets to enhance results, while also acknowledging the progress already achieved in countering this “dangerous phenomenon.”
The SNLMI will concentrate on five key areas: prevention, border management, enforcement measures against traffickers, measures to support and protect migrants, and the return and reintegration of irregular migrants.
The plan will be funded by both the national budget and external partners, although the total cost of the scheme has not been disclosed by the authorities.
Deadly migratory route
The Canary migrant route, an entry port to Europe via the Atlantic Ocean, has experienced an increase in activity in recent weeks, leading to a surge in the number of migrants departing from Africa’s north-western coasts.
As the number of migrants rises, so does the number of deaths.
Over the past two weeks, Senegal has witnessed several tragedies. On Monday, 16 migrants lost their lives when their boat sank off Dakar, and on July 12, another boat capsized near Saint-Louis, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 people.
Morocco’s navy has recently reported rescuing nearly 900 would-be irregular migrants between July 10 and July 17, with the majority of them being from sub-Saharan Africa.
On July 20, President Macky Sall urged the government to intensify controls in potential departure zones and areas while also implementing extensive surveillance, awareness-raising, and support measures for young people. He emphasized the need to strengthen public programs aimed at combating clandestine emigration.