Dakar: Civil society marches for visa reciprocity

Citizen mobilization for fairer mobility

Dakar – Senegalese civil society organizations held a march on Sunday to protest the difficulties and harassment associated with obtaining visas from embassies in Senegal. Starting from the Ahmadou Malick Gaye Center in Bopp, the demonstration proceeded through Colobane, the HLM housing projects, and the Colobane market, one of the busiest in the capital.

"A visa is a right": unambiguous slogans

Throughout the march, the marchers chanted powerful messages. Their placards read: "Yes to visa reciprocity," "Accessible visas, secure migration," "Mobility is a right," and "Reciprocity is a requirement." For the organizers, these slogans conveyed a clear demand: equitable access to visas for Senegalese citizens.

Mansour, a returning migrant: the story of a broken journey

Among the protesters, Mansour, a returning migrant, gave a moving testimony. “I tried five times to get a visa to go to Europe. When I didn't get a positive response, I took other routes: the desert, Libya,” he confided, his voice trembling. His story highlights the risks faced by many young people confronted with visa refusals.

The support of former public authorities

Present at the start of the march, former Minister for Senegalese Abroad, Ngoné Ndoye, lent her support to the mobilization. "A visa should celebrate diversity, not restrict it. A visa is a fundamental right," she declared, calling for visas to be "bridges, not walls."

Reciprocity, a matter of dignity

For Fambaye Ndoeye, of the Support Network for Migrant Women and Children, the demand goes beyond the simple administrative framework. "Reciprocity is dignity. We cannot accept that a nation is deprived of the right to a visa," she affirms.

Civil society promises to maintain the pressure

On behalf of the Collective of Civil Society Organizations for the Refounding of Visa Granting, Bêty Lokho Faye expresses her concern. "Senegalese people are encountering enormous difficulties in obtaining a visa, while Senegal, the land of Teranga, welcomes thousands of foreign nationals every year," she recalls.

In a statement read in Wolof, Senghane Senghor announced the continuation of the mobilization. "We demonstrated last year for the same cause. We will continue to challenge the authorities," he warned.

A campaign that is designed to last.

For her part, Fatimata Sy, director of the Ahmadou Malick Gaye Center in Bopp, emphasizes the consistency of the commitment. “This is the third demonstration organized as part of the ‘Visa for all’ campaign. The fight continues for the easing of visa requirements,” she explains.

A demand voiced by the street

Through this peaceful march, civil society organizations intend to put the issue of visa reciprocity back at the heart of the public debate. For them, international mobility should no longer be a privilege, but a fundamental right based on fairness and mutual respect.