Dakar — Police operations targeting foreign nationals have surged across Senegal’s capital in recent weeks, raising concerns among civil society and immigrant communities. Over eight days, authorities conducted checks on 490 individuals, with 36 referred to prosecutors for irregular stay, according to official figures.
One of those stopped was Amadou Bangoura, a 30-year-old Beninese student who has lived in Senegal for five years pursuing higher education. On a recent evening, as he left a gym in the Liberté 6 district around 10 p.m., a police patrol demanded his identity documents. Caught off guard, he explained he had left them at home. The officers insisted on verifying his claims and accompanied him to his residence, where he presented his passport and residency permit—both valid. The encounter concluded without incident, but the unease lingered.
Amadou’s experience is not unique. Since late June, the Directorate of Alien Police and Travel Documents (DPETV) has intensified administrative checks in Dakar and surrounding areas under the banner of security reinforcement. Between June 30 and July 8, 2026, nearly 490 foreigners of various nationalities were inspected, with 36 placed under judicial review for irregular stay.
Civil society voices growing alarm
Activist groups, including Legs Africa, Frapp, Nawle, Afrikajom Center, and Diwan Citoyen, have denounced what they describe as a shift toward systemic suspicion of foreigners. In a joint statement on July 13, they acknowledged a state’s right to regulate borders and combat irregular migration but warned against equating sovereignty with arbitrary measures.
“The concern today is not the existence of migration policies, but the normalization of perpetual suspicion toward foreigners,” the organizations stated. They argued that this trend risks reducing legally residing individuals to mere administrative risks, transforming routine stays into bureaucratic ordeals.
Balancing security and hospitality
Elimane Kane, president of Legs Africa, emphasized that enhanced controls should not pit security against Senegal’s tradition of hospitality. While acknowledging the state’s duty to monitor borders and verify identities, he cautioned that poorly coordinated operations could be perceived as persecution rather than regulation.
“Security does not exclude otherness,” Kane asserted, urging better collaboration among security forces to ensure checks are perceived as neutral administrative procedures rather than targeted actions. He also highlighted the global reality of professional mobility, noting that just as Senegalese citizens seek opportunities abroad, foreigners contribute to the local economy and deserve fair treatment.
“The solution is not to stigmatize migrants but to create opportunities for young Senegalese so they can thrive without feeling compelled to leave,” he concluded.
