Located more than 170 km from Dakar, Louga is an agro-sylvo-pastoral region, and above all a region of immigration. Affected by the drought of the 70s and 80s, it has one of the highest rates of immigration in Senegal, with 58.5% to Europe and 39.5% to Africa. The issues and challenges of migration are at the heart of the concerns of the people of Louga.

It is an understatement to say that Louga is a region of immigration. The baseline study carried out in 2022 by the Louga Bureau welcome, orientation and follow up (Baos) shows that more than 85% of migration is taking place on a regular basis in this locality. In addition, the baseline study reveals that « 58.5% of this migration is to Europe, compared with 39.5% to Africa ». Although the sub-Saharan populations are the most mobile in Africa, accounting for over 52%, the fact remains that intra-African migration is more important than migration from Africa to Europe.

According to an extract from the report on migration in Africa/challenging the narrative (AU, IOM, Swiss Amb) 2020, « Africa accounts for 14% of the world’s migrant population, compared with 41% from Asia and 24% from Europe ». These figures reinforce the need to review the migration narrative, which is largely concerned with intra-African migration, contrary to the terrible « sensationalist » impression of irregular migration from Africa via the Mediterranean.

In terms of impact, according to the 2019 report on the regional economic and social situation (Ses-R) published in 2021 by the Louga Regional Agency for Statistics and Demography, the financial flows generated by immigration amount to more than 10 billion CFA francs per year through formal transfer networks, and mainly finance consumption needs (housing, health, etc.). In addition to their families’ day-to-day consumption costs, the ANSD study continues, « immigrants play an active and significant role in financing infrastructure and community social facilities for the benefit of their homelands and towns ».  In Louga, the impact of immigrants on the population, and even on the collective consciousness, speaks for itself. Migration is seen as a factor in upward social mobility. « The Ndiambour-Ndiambour tends to immigrate for trade and other purposes since time immemorial, » says Nguénar Mbodj, Prefect of Louga. Even if many of them manage to return and invest, this is not the case for others. As Ms Mbodj explains, « investment is their main concern ».  Ms Mbodj further pleaded for support for immigrants and for government communication to raise awareness of the opportunities and niches set up by the Senegalese government, once they have returned home, so that they can reintegrate more easily.  Aware of the importance of the phenomenon in the region and its impact on the population, the director of the Skills Training Centre is not against migration, which is an enshrined right for every individual.

Even though « you can’t stop someone from travelling. You can ensure that they have skills ». A skill recognises the individual’s ability to perform a given function. So, in the context of migration, a qualification cannot only help people to find a job once they are in a host country, but it can also dissuade young people from leaving as, with a qualification, they can boast of being able to work in a particular field or invest and do well in their own country.  The skills training centre in Louga is doing a remarkable job of improving and diversifying the range of training courses on offer, which, according to the director of the establishment, « are opportunities ».

According to Mame Diarra Bousso Thiam, President of the Network in Support of Migrants’ Rights, « The State must make an effort to support the people of Louga in their desire to accompany the development of their locality, but also to put in place inclusive territorial public policies that take into account the realities of the people at grassroots level to better meet their expectations ». In addition, explains the head of Reddem, « there is a lot of potential in the Louga region ».

Unfortunately, she lamented, « migrants and potential candidates are not informed of this potential ». On another note, Mame Diarra Bousso spoke of the school drop-out rate among children in Ndiambour. According to the national agency for statistics and demography (Ands/Espos-II 2011), the gross enrolment rate is 30.3% in Louga, compared with 52.9% nationally. This shows that there is still work to be done in the region to close the gap with the national level. « We must never stop raising the awareness of children and their parents on the importance of school. We live with and suffer from educational wastage », our interviewee stated. The latter considers that it is necessary to involve returning immigrants so that they can be relays at the level of their families.

Formerly the province of Ndiambour, Louga became a region in the administrative reforms of 1976. The eighth administrative region of Senegal, it was created by law no. 76 61 of 26 June 1976, which divided the former Diourbel region into two separate administrative entities. Covering an area of 24,847 km2, or 12.60% of the national territory, it ranks 3rd in terms of surface area after the regions of Tambacounda (59,602 km2: 30.30%) and Matam (29,424 km2: 15%) of the national territory, according to the ANSD.

The Atlantic Ocean forms the western boundary of the region, giving it a coastline stretching for almost 50 km. Thus placing the region at a crossroads position, and for a long time it was an area of trade between several regions. In addition to being an agro-sylvo-pastoral area, the region’s history is strongly marked by the legendary mobility of its populations. Indeed, the region is « characterised by a demographic dynamic strongly marked by immigration; the number of migrants exceeds a quarter of the population », according to the Senegalese survey on Migration and Urbanism (1993).  Information also revealed by the Louga Regional Agency for Statistics and Demography’s 2019 report on the Regional Economic and Social Situation (Ses-R), published in 2021.

By Pape Moussa DIALLO