[BRIEF NOTE] The desperate emigrants of Senegal
A while ago, I came across an article originally from Agence France-Presse that explored the mechanics of illegal emigration from Senegal. It makes for compelling reading.
Because of the clandestine nature of the business, it is not known how many migrants are processed or how many fishing boats set sail from Elinkine, nestled in the deep mangroves on the mouth of the Casamance River, in Senegal's southern province of the same name.
But what is certain is that it is a key departure point for west African illegal emigrants trying to cross the Atlantic Ocean to the so-called European Eldorado and that a network of smugglers are raking a fortune from the trade.
"Here everybody benefits, that is why people are careful," says Alioune who identifies himself by a pseudonym.
Residents of this tiny, leafy village are very cagey when it comes to talking about the booming trade that has prospered in recent years, from desperately poor Africans who exhaust their family's meagre resources for the risky 1,000-plus kilometre-long (625-plus miles) trip on high seas in ramshackle fishing boats.
When and if they talk, they neither give their full names nor details for fear of upsetting the system.
Boat owners and smugglers are directly involved in the trafficking, as are fishermen enlisted to sail the pirogues.
Along a sandy village street, a ferryman sitting on his veranda who gives his name as Joseph says that he is aware that he is on a police wanted list.
"We can make lots of money, but a lot of smugglers have been arrested," he said before dodging away.
According to Alioune, an average two boats set sail from Elinkine aiming for the Spanish Canary Islands every week, but it is generally not a subject of open discussion because "it is a very dangerous game" that concerns the entire village.
Some homes around the village serve as "lodges" where days before takeoff, the prospective migrants are gathered and prepared for the trip.
"Everybody is well aware and most of the people are involved. It comes with lots of money, it's a mafia here," added Alioune. Boats owners have created what he called a commission that "facilitates" the departures, he said.
Each boat owner contributes an annual fee to this commission of three million CFA francs (4,500 euros, 6,600 dollars) "and in return the departures are facilitated and the police get their share," he said.
Senegal is an African country that has been profoundly influenced by Europe. In the modern era, France's Senegalese colony was transformed by the 1848 revolution in France, which abandoned slavery and made inhabitants of the city of Dakar French citizens. Dakar remained a regional capital during the period of French empire in Africa. By the First World War, as Barbara Jettinger's Senegal country study (PDF format) points out, many Senegalese were heading to the metropole.
The first wave of out-migration to Europe took place during the First World War, when many Senegalese worked in France as infantrymen (“tirailleurs” in French) (Guèye 2002: 284; Robinson 1991: 166). After Senegal gained independence from France in 1960, an increasing number of Senegalese left for France and settled in Paris and the main industrial centres such as Marseille. These migrants are mainly Soninké, Sereer and Tukulëë (Timera 1996) who lived primarily in the Senegal River valley regions. They were attracted by the European economic boom, and their out-migration was mainly supported by their families and facilitated by the fact that all Senegalese citizens at the time had both Senegalese and French citizenship. This structural affiliation to France continued for more than 20 years after Senegal’s independence (Garson 1992: 84-85). The out-migration of Senegalese citizens to France increased from 5,688 in 1968 to 32,350 in 1982 (INSEE 2004). Growing mass migration was also a response to the persistent drought as well as economic and politicalpressure on Senegal from the international community. For example, one of the major economic problems with deep social repercussions was the devaluation of the Franc CFA in 1994, which precipitated a harsh social crisis, particularly in the cities. The devaluation halved purchasing power, and resulted in price increases of 25-30 per cent for basic food stuffs such as rice. The high price of food had far-reaching effects on all social classes (Sane 1998; Vengroff and Creevey 1997). Thus, the deep economic and social crisis Senegal was facing induced more and more Senegalese from all social strata and ethnic and religious groups to migrate. Internally migrants went to the capital city Dakar; internationally, destinations included not only to France, but also new countries, such as Spain, Italy, Germany and beyond Europe to the USA, thereby shaping a new transnational space (see Guèye 2002, 2003; Robin 1997; Tall 2002).
[. . .]
In Europe, the Mourides’ first destination has been France. Important Mouride communities can be found in Paris and Marseille. However, from the 1980s onwards members of the Mouride community started to migrate from France to Italy. Subsequently, more and more Senegalese migrants come directly from Senegal to Italy. In Italy the Mouride community settled first in the south and islands (Sicily) and later migrated to the richer northern part of Italy, the region of Emilia Romagna, including seasonal migration to the more touristy coastline, where they engaged in unlicensed street trading (Grillo and Riccio 2004). Similar patterns can be found in Spain, which has attracted an increasing number of Mourides in recent years. They often engage in unlicensed street trading in tourist-oriented locations such as the islands of Tenerife and Mallorca. In Germany, Cologne is the capital for both Senegalese migrants and the Mouride community. The attraction of Cologne is its proximity to Brussels, which constitutes a trading node for Senegalese traders, linking Cologne, Brussels, Paris and Marseille.
Today an estimated 125,000 Senegalese migrants are living in the EU (IOM/UN 2000), comprising around 22 per cent of all West African migrants in the EU (Eurostat 2000). France remains the country with the highest number of Senegalese immigrants, followed by Italy, Spain and Germany. However, we should bear in mind that the main destinations of Senegalese migrants are other African countries, particularly Ivory Coast, Gabon, Mali and Guinea (IOM/UN 2000).
Unfortunately for these emigrants, as noted elsewhere, the closing down of liberal immigration regimes in most of Europe has encouraged desperate Senegalese to take the tremendous risks of illegal migration via the rickety boats of Elinkine and other Senegalese ports in order to secure a living wage for themselves and their dependents.
Because of the clandestine nature of the business, it is not known how many migrants are processed or how many fishing boats set sail from Elinkine, nestled in the deep mangroves on the mouth of the Casamance River, in Senegal's southern province of the same name.
But what is certain is that it is a key departure point for west African illegal emigrants trying to cross the Atlantic Ocean to the so-called European Eldorado and that a network of smugglers are raking a fortune from the trade.
"Here everybody benefits, that is why people are careful," says Alioune who identifies himself by a pseudonym.
Residents of this tiny, leafy village are very cagey when it comes to talking about the booming trade that has prospered in recent years, from desperately poor Africans who exhaust their family's meagre resources for the risky 1,000-plus kilometre-long (625-plus miles) trip on high seas in ramshackle fishing boats.
When and if they talk, they neither give their full names nor details for fear of upsetting the system.
Boat owners and smugglers are directly involved in the trafficking, as are fishermen enlisted to sail the pirogues.
Along a sandy village street, a ferryman sitting on his veranda who gives his name as Joseph says that he is aware that he is on a police wanted list.
"We can make lots of money, but a lot of smugglers have been arrested," he said before dodging away.
According to Alioune, an average two boats set sail from Elinkine aiming for the Spanish Canary Islands every week, but it is generally not a subject of open discussion because "it is a very dangerous game" that concerns the entire village.
Some homes around the village serve as "lodges" where days before takeoff, the prospective migrants are gathered and prepared for the trip.
"Everybody is well aware and most of the people are involved. It comes with lots of money, it's a mafia here," added Alioune. Boats owners have created what he called a commission that "facilitates" the departures, he said.
Each boat owner contributes an annual fee to this commission of three million CFA francs (4,500 euros, 6,600 dollars) "and in return the departures are facilitated and the police get their share," he said.
Senegal is an African country that has been profoundly influenced by Europe. In the modern era, France's Senegalese colony was transformed by the 1848 revolution in France, which abandoned slavery and made inhabitants of the city of Dakar French citizens. Dakar remained a regional capital during the period of French empire in Africa. By the First World War, as Barbara Jettinger's Senegal country study (PDF format) points out, many Senegalese were heading to the metropole.
The first wave of out-migration to Europe took place during the First World War, when many Senegalese worked in France as infantrymen (“tirailleurs” in French) (Guèye 2002: 284; Robinson 1991: 166). After Senegal gained independence from France in 1960, an increasing number of Senegalese left for France and settled in Paris and the main industrial centres such as Marseille. These migrants are mainly Soninké, Sereer and Tukulëë (Timera 1996) who lived primarily in the Senegal River valley regions. They were attracted by the European economic boom, and their out-migration was mainly supported by their families and facilitated by the fact that all Senegalese citizens at the time had both Senegalese and French citizenship. This structural affiliation to France continued for more than 20 years after Senegal’s independence (Garson 1992: 84-85). The out-migration of Senegalese citizens to France increased from 5,688 in 1968 to 32,350 in 1982 (INSEE 2004). Growing mass migration was also a response to the persistent drought as well as economic and politicalpressure on Senegal from the international community. For example, one of the major economic problems with deep social repercussions was the devaluation of the Franc CFA in 1994, which precipitated a harsh social crisis, particularly in the cities. The devaluation halved purchasing power, and resulted in price increases of 25-30 per cent for basic food stuffs such as rice. The high price of food had far-reaching effects on all social classes (Sane 1998; Vengroff and Creevey 1997). Thus, the deep economic and social crisis Senegal was facing induced more and more Senegalese from all social strata and ethnic and religious groups to migrate. Internally migrants went to the capital city Dakar; internationally, destinations included not only to France, but also new countries, such as Spain, Italy, Germany and beyond Europe to the USA, thereby shaping a new transnational space (see Guèye 2002, 2003; Robin 1997; Tall 2002).
[. . .]
In Europe, the Mourides’ first destination has been France. Important Mouride communities can be found in Paris and Marseille. However, from the 1980s onwards members of the Mouride community started to migrate from France to Italy. Subsequently, more and more Senegalese migrants come directly from Senegal to Italy. In Italy the Mouride community settled first in the south and islands (Sicily) and later migrated to the richer northern part of Italy, the region of Emilia Romagna, including seasonal migration to the more touristy coastline, where they engaged in unlicensed street trading (Grillo and Riccio 2004). Similar patterns can be found in Spain, which has attracted an increasing number of Mourides in recent years. They often engage in unlicensed street trading in tourist-oriented locations such as the islands of Tenerife and Mallorca. In Germany, Cologne is the capital for both Senegalese migrants and the Mouride community. The attraction of Cologne is its proximity to Brussels, which constitutes a trading node for Senegalese traders, linking Cologne, Brussels, Paris and Marseille.
Today an estimated 125,000 Senegalese migrants are living in the EU (IOM/UN 2000), comprising around 22 per cent of all West African migrants in the EU (Eurostat 2000). France remains the country with the highest number of Senegalese immigrants, followed by Italy, Spain and Germany. However, we should bear in mind that the main destinations of Senegalese migrants are other African countries, particularly Ivory Coast, Gabon, Mali and Guinea (IOM/UN 2000).
Unfortunately for these emigrants, as noted elsewhere, the closing down of liberal immigration regimes in most of Europe has encouraged desperate Senegalese to take the tremendous risks of illegal migration via the rickety boats of Elinkine and other Senegalese ports in order to secure a living wage for themselves and their dependents.