Regional Policies, Displaced Persons and Migrants

On September 23, the city of Dakar (Senegal) hosted the collective intelligence workshop “Regional Policies, Displaced Persons and Migrants (Senegal-Mali-Mauritania ↔ Europe)”. The closed-door meeting, which lasted two hours, brought together a small group of strategic actors – researchers, institutional representatives, international agencies, civil society organizations, humanitarian groups, and members of the diaspora – to create a space for reflection and co-construction.

The initiative aimed to develop an updated diagnosis of mobility dynamics along the Senegal-Mali-Mauritania–Europe axis, identify key risk factors, and formulate operational recommendations for non-governmental organizations, international bodies, local and national authorities, as well as the most directly involved European partners, including the European Union and Spain.

Context

The West African Atlantic route has regained a central position in migratory flows towards the European Union in recent years, with a sustained increase in arrivals to the Canary Islands since 2023–2024 and greater diversification of migratory profiles, including youth, women, children, and new countries of origin. The coasts of Senegal and Mauritania currently account for a large portion of departures, while the Malian population constitutes one of the most represented groups.

These processes are shaped by regional transformations linked to security realignments in the Sahel, the recomposition of integration frameworks, and bilateral operational agreements. These factors directly affect intra-regional freedom of movement, local economies, and the dynamics of trafficking networks.

Contents and Results

The workshop addressed priority aspects such as the situation of internally displaced persons and refugees, the effects of regional restructuring on mobility and protection, cooperation practices between States, and elements that favor orderly and safe mobility.

As a result, a policy paper was produced, gathering conclusions and concrete proposals differentiated by type of actor: national and local authorities, international organizations, NGOs, the European Union, Spain, the private sector, diasporas, and local communities.

The meeting was held under the Chatham House Rule, guaranteeing a safe and constructive exchange framework that allowed for progress on shared recommendations.