In March, the news highlighted contrasting responses to human mobility: protection initiatives, a rise in voluntary returns, the continued use of dangerous routes and tougher deportation policies. The management of migration from Africa to Europe reveals a delicate balance between support, regulation and questions of sovereignty.
Two recent developments in Senegal capture the contrast. First, UN Women has launched a programme in Dakar to promote gender-sensitive migration policies. It aims to improve access to decent work for migrant women, who are especially exposed to exploitation, violence and trafficking, above all in the informal sector. Meanwhile, attempts at irregular migration go on. A pirogue carrying 164 migrants was intercepted off Djifer, while a second boat carrying 139 people, including the lifeless body of a newborn, was rescued after eleven days at sea. These events are a stark reminder of the dangers of the Atlantic route to Europe.
Ahead of its report on the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, Mali has launched a series of national consultations. Backed by the International Organisation for Migration, they show Bamako’s commitment to shaping migration governance in line with its international obligations, at a time when migration remains a critical development issue.
In Côte d’Ivoire, migration is viewed through two lenses: return and development. In Abidjan, 127 migrants returned from Algeria under reintegration programmes supported by international partners. During preparatory consultations for the 2026 International Migration Review Forum, the authorities stressed that migration could stimulate the economy and society if it were better organised. This dual approach reflects a wish to manage mobility while tapping its potential for national development.
Further north, Tunisia has seen a sharp rise in voluntary return programmes. More than 21,000 migrants were repatriated between 2022 and 2025, with numbers climbing steeply in the last two years. The authorities hope to facilitate a further 10,000 returns in 2026, a sign that the country’s migration policy is hardening.
The situation in Libya remains deeply troubling. Between January and March 2026, more than 2,500 migrants were intercepted at sea and forcibly returned to Libya. NGOs regularly condemn these operations, which form part of a wider tightening of controls in the central Mediterranean and erode protection standards for refugees.
Europe’s migration policies swing between targeted openness and tighter control. In Spain, the government has extended access to healthcare to undocumented migrants. A simple sworn statement now suffices to qualify for treatment. The measure fits an approach that puts social cohesion and access to rights first, and acknowledges migrants’ presence in the country.
By contrast, a trafficking network was dismantled in Sète, France. The operation used an unprecedented method, smuggling migrants aboard livestock ships as crew. Around twenty people are believed to have entered Europe this way, paying up to €22,000. The case shows how smuggling networks adapt to get around controls.
