On Friday, Senegal’s Consul General in Dakhla Babou Sène strongly denied the claims running on social media about Senegalese irregular migrants as allegedly marooned in the Moroccan desert.
“This is unfounded information that I formally deny,” Sène told MAP. He explained that “Senegalese authorities are aware of the extensive manipulation on social media.”
Sène said that all Senegalese migrants, rescued by the Royal Navy, “are always accommodated in reception centers in Dakhla, not in tents in the desert.”
The official pointed out that Moroccan authorities always inform the Consulate General of Senegal in Dakhla about any rescued boat and promptly dispatches a team to assess the migrants’ living conditions on-site.
“Senegalese people are warmly welcomed in Morocco,” the diplomat said, commending the Moroccan authorities’ efforts to host migrants from sub-Saharan African countries, particularly Senegalese ones, in “good conditions.”
He also noted that over 300 Senegalese individuals were hospitalized in Dakhla hospital last year for periods ranging from three days to two months, with Moroccan authorities bearing all expenses.
Sène also praised the reception and residence conditions of Senegalese nationals in Morocco, and pointed out that thousands of his compatriots have residence permits and hold decent jobs in Morocco.