Between April and December 2024, Amadou Chérif Diouf, Secretary of State for Senegalese Abroad, led a series of initiatives to improve living conditions, economic opportunities and administrative services for our compatriots abroad.
Towards a reform of consular cards
To better serve Senegalese abroad, a reform of consular cards has been launched. This initiative aims to modernize these documents by facilitating the census of citizens and standardizing their format. As such, on the instructions of the Prime Minister, a census of Senegalese living abroad will begin shortly.
In partnership with Synapsys, a subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, a consular card incorporating biometric technologies will soon be available, offering dematerialized and secure management.
Furthermore, to resolve the challenges linked to the establishment of administrative documents, missions were deployed in 32 countries, making it possible to satisfy 6,675 passport requests thanks to the support of the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security. Simultaneously, teams carried out missions to establish national identity cards in Morocco, Brazil, Türkiye, Tunisia, Libya and Burundi, thus responding to the pressing needs of Senegalese in the diaspora.
One-stop shop, Diaspora Bank, Jariñ sa Réew project..
As part of the DER/FJ Diaspora Fund, 71 projects were financed to the tune of 860 million CFA francs, an amount which greatly exceeds the funding in previous years. These initiatives, deployed in 17 countries across four continents, encourage Senegalese in the diaspora to invest in their localities of origin, to contribute to local development and to facilitate their reintegration for those who wish to return to the country.
To simplify access to information and services, a digital portal, a true one-stop shop, is being finalized. It will bring together resources dedicated to Senegalese people abroad and will promote personalized support.
In addition, the creation of a Diaspora Bank, the result of a partnership between BNDE and a fintech run by members of the diaspora, aims to finance innovative projects and strengthen economic ties with Senegal. Added to this is the upcoming establishment of a National Diaspora Day, which will highlight the contributions of Senegalese people abroad while promoting their individual and collective initiatives.
In the same dynamic, the Jariñ sa Réew project will mobilize Senegalese talents living abroad to intervene in rural communities. This program, developed with the National Academy of Sciences and Techniques of Senegal (ANSTS), will focus on the health and higher education sectors for a pilot phase.
Assistance to Senegalese in difficulty
In terms of migration cooperation, a memorandum with Spain strengthened the recruitment of seasonal workers, offering a legal and organized route to migration. At the same time, dialogues with the European Union made it possible to secure a budget of 30 million euros to fight against irregular emigration and improve migration management.
In response to humanitarian crises, 3,047 Senegalese stranded in precarious situations were repatriated in 2024, thanks to collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The most notable operations concerned repatriations from Libya, Morocco and Lebanon.
Finally, an insurance project for the repatriation of the bodies of Senegalese who died abroad was initiated, offering associations and communities of compatriots the possibility of subscribing to policies adapted to better support their members in these difficult times.
Cheikh Gora DIOP
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