Brussels, 27/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 26 July in Dakar, the EU and Senegal agreed on a “migration partnership framework” to help facilitate the return of illegal migrants. The launch of this partnership framework was announced on Tuesday evening by the European Commission.
Senegal is one of the countries in Africa and the Middle East with which the EU is engaged in a high-level dialogue on migration, in an attempt to strengthen cooperation in this field. This dialogue is part of its new strategy adopted on 7 June that seeks to introduce “migration pacts” with third countries of origin and transit, in an effort to facilitate the return and readmission of illegal migrants (EUROPE 11567).
In Dakar, the Commissioner for Migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, had talks with the Senegalese President, Macky Sall, the Foreign Minister, Mankeur Ndiaye, and Minister for the Interior, Abdoulaye Daouda Diallo. These meetings helped to reaffirm the reciprocal commitments for an improved management of migration flows, particularly by way of the prevention of irregular migration and the dismantling of clandestine trafficking networks. It also helped to renew the commitments to cooperation regarding legal migration, enhanced protection of refugees and migrants rights, the fight against trafficking of human beings, as well as improved cooperation in the areas of return and integration and the introduction of appropriate procedures applicable in this field, explained the Commission in a press release.
The two parties discussed the Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa. The Commission emphasised “The five projects focusing on job creation and economic opportunities have already been adopted in support of Senegal for a total amount of between 48 billion and 278 million F.CFA (€73.6 million)”.
Senegal is a member of the ACP group of states (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific) linked to the EU through the Cotonou Agreement, which expires in 2020. This development partnership agreement stipulates in Article 13, that thoroughgoing dialogue between ACP/EU is required on migration but it has hitherto not enabled any extension in this area on the question of return and readmissions of illegal ACP migrants, much to the regret of the EU.
The European Migration Agenda, in which the Special EU/Africa Summit in Valletta took place in November 2015, and which constitutes the building block for these new bilateral migration partnership frameworks changed the situation significantly. The EU's determination to include migration in its future development policy was announced by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, during the most recent Development Council (EUROPE 11551). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)