On October 17, Jutta Urpilainen, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, announced that €30 million, or roughly $32.5 million, would be given to Senegal to aid in the fight against irregular migration. According to her, the money will be utilized to improve Senegalese authorities’ ability to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling while also providing assistance to vulnerable migrants. She added that they will also be used to spread the word about the risks associated with irregular migration. “We want to make it clear that we do not want to see any more maritime tragedies.”
A €5.75 million project already funded by the European Commission aims to increase Senegalese security forces’ ability to fight migrant smuggling, trafficking, and irregular immigration.
Urpilainen declared, “We want Senegalese youth to thrive and put an end to the tragedies at sea.”
The number of irregular migrants from Senegal to Europe has increased dramatically in the last several years. Senegal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that 9,319 of the approximately 12,833 migrants who entered Spain in 2023 identified as Senegalese.
Senegal unveiled its first-ever plan in 2023 to significantly cut irregular migration by 2033 in response to this escalating problem. The strategy emphasizes monitoring air, sea, and land borders, strengthening controls, and educating the public nationwide.
According to the International Organization for Migration report, 39,910 migrants traveled by boat from West Africa to the Canary Islands between January and December 2023, a 155% increase from the 15,682 migrants who traveled in 2022.
For thousands of migrants seeking to reach Europe, the coasts of Senegal serve as a major departure point; many of them are bound for the Spanish Canary Islands. In September, a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of Senegal, killing at least 39 people. Following the tragedy, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye pledged to “relentlessly track down” migrant traffickers.