Dakar — A wave of police checks targeting foreigners has intensified in Senegal’s capital, raising concerns among civil society and resident expatriates. Over eight days, authorities conducted 490 inspections, leading to 36 individuals being referred to the prosecutor’s office for irregular stay.
The crackdown, framed as routine administrative verification, has left many in the foreign community unsettled. Among them is Amadou Bangoura, a 30-year-old Beninese student who has lived in Senegal for five years pursuing higher education. As he left a gym in the Liberté 6 district around 10 PM one evening, a police patrol stopped him, demanding identification. “My papers are at home,” he explained, unaware this request could lead to serious consequences. The officers drove him to his residence, where he presented his valid passport and stay documents—no further action was taken. Yet the ordeal left him shaken: deportation, imprisonment, or legal trouble flashed through his mind.
Bangoura’s experience is not unique. Since late June, the Direction de la Police des Étrangers et des Titres de Voyage (DPETV) has conducted sweeping verification campaigns in Dakar and surrounding areas, officially to enhance security. The numbers confirm the trend: nearly 490 foreigners of various nationalities were inspected between June 30 and July 8, with 36 cases of irregular stay forwarded to prosecutors.
Civil society voices growing alarm
Human rights and migrant advocacy groups have sharply criticized the operations. In a joint statement released on July 13, organizations including Legs Africa, Frapp, Nawle, Afrikajom Center, and Diwan Citoyen warned that while states have the sovereign right to regulate migration, the current approach risks fostering a climate of suspicion rather than compliance. “Sovereignty does not equate to arbitrariness,” they declared, emphasizing that foreigners should be seen as rights-bearing individuals, not administrative risks.
The groups argue that the shift in tone—from regulation to suspicion—could transform legal residency into a bureaucratic ordeal. “The problem isn’t the policy itself, but the normalization of constant suspicion toward foreigners,” they stated.
Balancing security and hospitality
Elimane Kane, president of Legs Africa, cautioned against reducing the issue to a false dichotomy between security and hospitality—values deeply rooted in Senegalese culture. While acknowledging the state’s duty to monitor borders and verify identities, he stressed the need for coordination to prevent controls from being perceived as persecution. “Security must not exclude the other,” he argued.
Kane also highlighted the global reality of labor mobility. “Just as Senegalese citizens seek opportunities abroad, foreigners have the right to work here,” he said. The solution, he suggested, lies not in blaming migrants but in creating conditions for young Senegalese to access local opportunities.