afrol News, 20 July - Senegalese authorities are to use national media in a large scale to propagate warnings about the dangers of illegal emigration attempts to Spain's nearby Canary Islands. Only yesterday, an estimated 50 West African migrants are feared to have lost their lives as their boat capsized off Tenerife island.

As part of efforts to combat significant levels of irregular migration from Senegal, the Senegalese government and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have now launched an information campaign aimed at "raising awareness of the dangers of irregular migration and at preventing it," according to IOM.

Run by IOM and using largely radio, television and newspapers in Senegal to get the messages out, the campaign is also to include a road show at a later date which would travel to towns and villages affected by high rates of emigration in a bid to raise awareness of the phenomenon.

Nearly 32,000 irregular migrants arrived on the coast of the Canary Islands last year with many other migrants drowning at sea after travelling on overcrowded and rickety boats. Only yesterday, a wooden boat crowded with an estimated 100 Africans capsized of the island of Tenerife, with about 50 of the passengers still missing. Spanish authorities fear they will not be found alive.

The wave of illegal immigration to the Canary Islands has caused shock and outrage both in Spain and in West Africa. Spanish authorities, with the help of the European Union (EU) last year intensified cooperation with a number of West African countries to stop the ever-increasing trend of dangerous migration attempts. The IOM campaign is part of this effort.

According to IOM, "the campaign will not only support government efforts to stem irregular migration but will also inform potential migrants of legal methods of migration in an effort to avoid the many tragedies befalling irregular migrants, often including loss of life at sea in rickety boats."

Launched in the presence of Ousmane Ngom, Senegal's Minister of the Interior, the information campaign was said to be the first step in a broader effort to specifically engage migrant source regions within Senegal as well as border areas in the battle against irregular migration.

In addition to the campaign, a joint initiative of IOM and the Spanish government, IOM has pledged to support Senegalese efforts to put in place strategies allowing Senegalese youth to contribute to the socio-economic development of their country. Support was to be provided to returned and potential migrants in income generating opportunities as well as associations and state centres working in this domain.

The campaign falls within a programme of inter-regional dialogue between the EU and North and Sub-Saharan Africa which is funded by the European Commission.

By staff writers

© afrol News

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