22-06-2021 | di COOPI

Senegal. Raising awareness on the risks of irregular migration

Since December 2018 in the Tambacounda Region, Senegal, COOPI has been raising awareness on the risks of irregular migration through the project "Vivre et réussir chez moi - Local development and territorialisation of migration policies in Senegal" funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). Nearly a hundred awareness-raising activities, advocacy and reports have been produced by COOPI, regularly reminding that extreme poverty, the isolation of certain areas, the violence suffered by migrants during their journey, social inequalities, endemic unemployment and irregular migration constitute real threats and challenges that profoundly affect the lives of young Senegalese.

Listen to Mamedou Moustapha Mar Seck, COOPI social operator: https://youtu.be/pRdr-6EQdOk

Marco Lanino, COOPI project manager, says:

"COOPI recalls that any young person who disappears or suffers violence is a loss for the development of Senegal and asks authorities to listen carefully to the concerns of young people and to set up an efficient, decentralized youth policy.

COOPI reinforces the state authorities, partners of the state, to take all their responsibilities, while considering the recommendations of the facilitators, who are always on the fieldwork, at the side of the youth, to inquire about their real experiences and problems.

"Vivre et réussir chez moi - Local development and territorialisation of migration policies in Senegal", financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), is carried out by COOPI in partnership with VIS (leading agency), Fondazione Museke e don Bosco 2000. Watch the video presentation: https://youtu.be/esecyYQi4Cs

The general objective of the project is to contribute to the expansion of opportunities for vulnerable groups in two Senegalese regions with a high migration impact (Kaolack and Tambacounda), in order to improve their living conditions and regulate the management of migration flows, thus preventing human rights violations caused by emigration.

The specific objective is to promote local development in the regions of Kaolack and Tambacounda as a key to the effective implementation of circular and territorialized migration policies, inspired by the respect of human rights and the implementation of a strengthened network of public and private Senegalese, Italian and diaspora's actors.

COOPI has been involved in the sector of migration through development projects in West Africa since 2000. These interventions are focused on supporting initiatives of the African diaspora in Italy to promote circular migration, local development and youth employment in areas heavily affected by migration. The organization currently has a regional office in Dakar and implements several projects on migration covering Senegal, Gambia, Mali and Niger.