The Minister of Employment, Abass Fall, recently announced major reforms concerning the Labor Code and the Social Security Code in Senegal, aimed at strengthening worker protection, in particular by extending retirement pensions to Senegalese emigrants.
However, it is important to note that, since March 25, 1977, Senegalese emigrants have already benefited from retirement pensions thanks to the social security convention between France and Senegal. This agreement allows Senegalese workers who have contributed in France to total their insurance periods to open up retirement rights, with the possibility of receiving their pensions in Senegal.
Minister Abass Fall’s new announcement, although salutary, seems redundant compared to existing provisions. Nevertheless, it could reflect a desire to strengthen and clarify the mechanisms for transferring and collecting pensions for emigrants, thus ensuring better social security for this population.
Senegalese emigrants, who have often contributed to the country’s economic development while working abroad, could benefit from these reforms by simplifying the administrative procedures linked to the receipt of their pensions. Better coordination between Senegalese institutions and host countries would facilitate the process, ensuring that emigrants receive the benefits to which they are entitled.
