The Interministerial Committee for the Fight against Irregular Migration (CILMI), in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation, organised a strategic workshop in Dakar in September 2025 to present the operational action plan  of the National Strategy to Combat Irregular Migration (SNLM) now aligned with Senegal’s Vision 2050.

Vision Senegal 2050 includes a section on irregular migration. The workshop brought together representatives of the ministries that are members of the interministerial committee, as well as the defence and security forces, technical and financial partners, and civil society organisations, with the aim of aligning the operational action plan of the National Strategy to Combat Irregular Migration (SNLM) with Vision Senegal 2050. The objective was to establish a consistent and enduring framework for addressing a phenomenon that has impacted Senegalese society for over two decades.

The National Strategy to combat Irregular Migration irrégulière was developed and approved in July 2023. Aligned with Vision Senegal 2050, the strategy is based on five pillars: prevention; enforcement; border management and surveillance; migrant protection, return and reintegration. The current workshop is focusing on creating an operational plan to implement the strategy.

“The aim is to transition from a three-year plan to a five-year plan to provide greater clarity and consistency in the implementation of these actions,” explained Police Comptroller General Modou Diagne, Permanent Secretary of CILMI. According to Diagne, the document will serve as a roadmap for the next five years, with the ultimate goal of drastically reducing irregular migration by 2035.

Persistent but gradually decreasing phenomenon

While irregular migration is not a new phenomenon in Senegal, recent data show encouraging signs. In the first quarter of 2025, 1,946 people were arrested for attempting to reach Europe by sea. Notably, over half of these individuals were foreign nationals transiting through Senegal. During this period, the defence and security forces also seized 32 pirogues and brought 74 suspected smugglers to justice. Compared to the same period in 2024, the number of aborted departures and intercepted boats has fallen significantly. ‘This shows that surveillance efforts are bearing fruit,’ says Dr Modou Diagne, who nevertheless stresses the importance of prevention.

The fight against irregular migration must extend beyond border control, a fact of which the Senegalese government is aware. Alongside maritime and land surveillance operations, it is carrying out awareness-raising and prevention activities at the national level. Above all, the government is focusing on economic and social development to provide viable alternatives for young people and women who are considering leaving the country. Training, professional integration and entrepreneurship programmes are being introduced to create local opportunities and reduce the appeal of illegal migration routes. “Prevention means, first and foremost, giving people prospects. The challenge is to enable our young people to stay in Senegal and build their future here,’ says the Permanent Secretary of CILMI.

The establishment of the Interministerial Committee on Irregular Migration forms part of this process. As a coordinating body, the Committee unites the efforts of all ministries, defence and security forces and technical and financial partners. This cross-cutting approach aims to harmonise efforts and strengthen the effectiveness of interventions.

Beyond the security dimension, the Dakar workshop aims to establish a strategic framework in which prevention, protection and development work together to address this deeply rooted phenomenon. As Modou Diagne points out, “This is not an issue that can be resolved in a few months; it is rather a long-term endeavour.”