Attachments
Report prepared by Mathilde HENRY
Chapter 1: Background of the study
Introduction
More than 2,100 migrants died in West Africa and on the region's overseas routes to Europe between 2014 and 2022, according to data from IOM's Missing Migrants Project (MMP). Moreover, the circumstances in which migrants disappear vary and it is sometimes difficult to establish the death with certainty. Indeed, it is also possible that the missing person is alive but does not have the possibility or the will to communicate with his family, because of detention or the fear of detention, for instance. Finally, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), it happens that "the body is never found or, if it is, it isn’t correctly identified or documented”. The adversity encountered in the complex and costly search process itself, without knowing whether the loved one is dead or alive, further increases the proportion of suffering associated with the disappearance.
Issues of the dignity of families and of the dead therefore accompany the issues of strengthening the legal protection systems and material assistance for families. In the spirit of respect for International Law and Human Rights on the rights to life, liberty and security of the person, this study focuses on assessing and evaluating the needs of missing migrants and their families in Senegal. “Barcelona or death” ("Barça or Barsakh" in Wolof); the study on migrant families to their deceased not only informs us of their needs, but also takes stock of the evolution of the migratory phenomenon in Senegal towards Europe and the associated needs for political, legal, and humanitarian action.
Methodology
The interviews of migrant families in this study were conducted in November 2022 among fiftyfour families. The survey methodology consisted in the adoption of qualitative interviews based on semi-open questionnaires, which allowed the quantification of data a posteriori. The questionnaire contained different sections, ranging from general information on the family, to questions on economic and administrative or legal difficulties, through those on psychological and psychosocial problems as well as on the coping mechanisms developed by families. The questionnaire included open questions, which the families could answer freely, and closed questions, i.e., with predefined answers. It should be noted that the results presented here are indicative due to the small sample size. Under no circumstances can figures be expressed as a percentage, and the data collected must be understood as qualitative data allowing the highlighting of strong trends.
Families were met throughout Senegal and were interviewed, among a variety of family members: mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, wives, children, cousins, or guardians.
All the 28 interviewers were trained and signed a confidentiality agreement before going into the field. Interview notes were taken on paper and reported electronically following the interview. The word processor responses were then copied one by one and systematized into Excel to form a database. At the same time, various interviews were held with resource persons, in particular the authorities, migrant associations, and humanitarian organizations such as the ICRC, with a view to acquiring a better understanding of the migratory phenomenon and the question of missing migrants.
Profiles of missing migrants and their families
The missing migrants were mainly men between 25 and 34 years old, This age group corresponds to an age for which, in Senegal, men contribute significantly to the financial support of the household. Two missing women were included; they were 27 and 37, and both mothers.
The families interviewed are families of fishers, farmers, and small traders, with often large households whose needs are not covered for all.