NOTE ON THE PROJECT
CENSUS OF THE SENEGALESE
ABROAD

At the time of the Symposium held at Dakar, on the 18th, 19th and 20th July, the Head of the State had strongly reaffirmed the necessity to proceed without delay to the exhaustive census of the Senegalese Abroad, in partnership with the International Organisations and the specialised NGO’s.

Indeed, one of the priorities expressed by the government of Senegal is to arrange the exhaustive data on the Senegalese Abroad, in order to allow the implementation of a reliable global policy in the direction of our Nationals established abroad and to render possible their participation in the development of their country of origin.

It is thus in close co-operation with the International Organisation for Migration (OIM), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Union and Senegalese Abroad worked out a Project of “Census of the Senegalese Abroad”, which will allow to have the reliable statistical information on the Senegalese living in the countries of Western Africa, but also in certain countries of Africa like Cameroon, Gabon, South Africa. The Western countries which will be targeted by the Project are France, Italy, Germany, Spain, United States and Canada.

The Direction of the Senegalese Abroad of the Ministry will facilitate the implementation of the Project by means of the consular Authorities who will put at the disposal the information on the target groups, in the concerned countries.

The Project thus defined will analyse all the data collected on the migratory traffic of the Senegalese Community. To do this, it will carry out the exploitation and appreciation of the statistical data existent in Senegal and in the host countries, as well as in the cartographic restoration of the data. In a subsequent phase, the elaboration of the reference terms and the definition of the methodology, for realisation of the exhaustive census of the Senegalese abroad, will also be carried out.

This important Project will allow hence a better knowledge of the migratory movements of the Senegalese abroad and will contribute to the efforts of the government in the definition of the strategies of intervention on the domains of the migrations.

Principal partner of the Project, the Regional Office for Western Africa of the International Organisation for the Migrations assures the exploitation of the data, their seizure and the cartographic restoration of the results, with the support of the Direction of the Senegalese Abroad. The OIM will also contribute to the elaboration of the methodology of implementation of the following phase.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Union and Senegalese Abroad will take charge, for its part, of the organisation of the workshop of restoration, as well as the final publication of the report.

The statistical and cartographic analysis of the data is financed by the OIM, for an amount estimated at nine million Francs (9.000.000 FCFA).

The contribution of the Ministry is estimated at 2 million 2 hundred thousand Francs (2.200.000 FCFA), for the coverage of the Seminar of restoration of the results (200.000 FCFA) and for the publication of the Report (2.000.000 FCFA).

The Action Plan elaborated for the Project stipulates that the statistical and cartographic analysis and the publication of the first results must be finalised on the 10th November 2001. The Seminar of restoration will take place on the 10th December 2001 and the Publication and Distribution of the Report is envisaged on the 30th December 2001.

ELEMENTS OF RESPONSE

The Senegalese daily newspaper “Le Matin”, in its edition of Tuesday, 2nd October 2001, had published an article entitled “The emigrants regret the non-consideration of their problems”, signed by the pen of Abdoulaye MBODJ. .

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Union and the Senegalese Abroad would like to bring some precisions on the points approached by the Senegalese emigrants established in France, for a good comprehension of the decisions taken at the time of the Symposium of Dakar.

It is advisable to emphasise that the continuation, of 28th and 29th March 2001, the preparatory Days of Reflection, held, on the 18th, 19th and 20th of July 2001, of the Symposium on the new partnership with the Senegalese Abroad is the confirmation of the new dynamics taken on by the Head of the State taking into account the problem of emigration of the Senegalese and the setting up of a permanent and well-balanced partnership, in favour of our Compatriots established Abroad and of our country.

This consensual approach, based on the dialogue and the will to research the concrete and realizable solutions is at the root of the several decisions taken by the Government stemming from the democratic alternation, aiming at favouring a management effective and more determined by the crucial questions which arise with the Senegalese Abroad.

The Head of the State gave, indeed, his approval and granted his support to several determining propositions recommended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Union and the Senegalese Abroad :

- The Direction of the Senegalese Abroad will be set up, in the same way as that of the African Union, in General Direction

- New functional premises will be allocated to it.

- The personnel of the new General Direction will be reinforced

- Computer equipments will be put at the disposal for a better management of the Senegalese Abroad and a data bank will be created

The Government is thus well conscious of the multiple concerns of all orders, which call upon our Compatriots abroad and intends to give the means to buckle up in an energetic manner to their best resolution.

It is however necessary to emphasize that the social concerns of the emigrants would not know how to be measured with the only page which is dedicated to them in the final Report which, is necessary to underline, counts only eight pages and treats a number of other problems.

This Report could not be exhaustive with regard to the acuteness of the problems posed and could not especially take charge of the totality of the important debates and the solutions recommended by the Commission in charge of the legal and consular Affairs, consisting of the delegates of the Senegalese Abroad, the Representatives of the concerned Ministerial Departments and the Representatives of the countries and Organisations involved in the resolution of the social problems, which look into this important question.

However, with regard to the questions raised by the emigrant colony of France, it is advisable to specify that the Head of the State had recently given his agreement for the creation of a National Cashbox of health insurance, which will allow, from its installation, to finalise the negotiations started with the French party and relative to the extension of the coverage of the health insurance, in the aid of the families of the emigrants living in Senegal, as well as to the pensioners who came back.

As regards the problems posed by the polygamous Senegalese families in France, the steps had been initiated with the French Authorities, well before the Symposium of Dakar, with the aim of finding a suitable solution for all.

It is however important to emphasize the necessity for our compatriots to respect the regulations of the host country. Indeed, the French regulation specifically prohibits the practise of polygamy.

As for the creation of a bank of the emigrants, it is necessary to specify that it is a question of a strong demand of the emigrants themselves who had set up a Committee of piloting to that end. The Government is limited to support and accompany this initiative which enters within the frame work of the partnership concluded with the Senegalese Abroad.

Finally, as regards to the French-Senegalese Convention of co-development, signed on the 24th of May last year, it is still at the stage of installation of its structures. This important Convention aims to favour and facilitate the reintegration, in our country, of the Senegalese who wish it, by the support for the creation of PME/PMI in Senegal. In this frame, Sonepi and other private structures are called upon to contribute for the study of the projects of integration of the eligible candidates, desiring to return to the country.

This Convention also permitted us to sign, on the 20th June 2001, an Agreement relative to the exchanges of the young professionals, in all the domains of economic and social life.