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The Senegalese-German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (CSAEM) has introduced a comic presenting the risks of irregular migration, as well as the opportunities available to people in Senegal.
The Senegalese-German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (CSAEM) has created a comic which provides information about the risks associated with irregular migration, and highlights the opportunities available in Senegal. This comic was presented to the public in March. It is called “Clandestino” and was developed in cooperation with the Senegalese agency Créatif Pencil. The comic is illustrated by Amidou Badji. The aim is to reach a broader and especially younger target group.
“Some people in Senegal can’t read very well. So they don’t have access to much information about irregular migration and the risks it involves. The comic uses illustrations to explain the issues. But it also shows a path for people who want to return to Senegal, and highlights the opportunities available to them.
A comic that is moving and informative
A comic that is moving and informative
The storyline: two friends want to emigrate, and then return to Senegal
The comic deals with Modou and Samba, two Senegalese friends who emigrate to Europe by boat. They finally get to Europe after a long and dangerous crossing. The friends had hoped for a better life in Europe, but the reality is very different. They are disappointed, and decide to go back to Senegal voluntarily to start their own business there. A reintegration scout from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH helped them with their return. And when they arrived back in Senegal, they were given support and psychological help by the CSAEM and its partners. This helped them to start their own business: a fruit and vegetable farm.
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“Clandestino” is an Italian word and refers to irregular travellers without papers. The comic's name is intended to remind people of the irregular migrants who died in the Mediterranean Sea on their way to Europe.
One young man who knows the risks of irregular migration from his own experience is Moustapha Diouf. He took part in the event to launch the comic. He is a fisherman and president of the Association of Young Repatriated Migrants (AJRAP) in Thiaroye. He reached the Canary Islands on board a fishing boat in 2006. But he was sent back to Senegal the same year. Back in Senegal, he founded the AJRAP to join forces with other fishermen in the fight against irregular migration. “If I had perished at sea, there would have been no-one to care for my children, who are now 14 und 16”, says Moustapha. He advises the younger generation not to drop out of school, because education can help them find better prospects in life than irregular migration.
The CSAEM helps people to find opportunities for a good life in Senegal. And this subject is also presented in the comic. “We want to show the different types of support that the centre offers. The advisors can provide information to returnees and the local population, and can assist with reorientation”, says Amidou Badji, the comic’s illustrator.
Informing the younger generation
The audience at the presentation of the comic included 30 schoolchildren. One of them was Olivier, who attends a secondary school in a suburb of Dakar. Olivier sees the comic as an early warning against irregular migration. He thinks it’s important to learn about it, and to pass the information on to his friends. “I was very moved by the story of the two friends. The comic clearly describes the risks involved with irregular migration to Europe”, says Olivier.
As of: 04/2022
