Dakar – Over the years, migration dynamics from and within West Africa have become more complex, with an increasing number of people travelling across the region. Intraregional migration now accounts for more than 90% of the migration flows from the region.

While labour migration in the region remains a phenomenon affecting mostly men, more children and women are on the move, thus increasing the risks of abuse, violence, exploitation, and harassment they can face during their journey.

In order to improve the understanding of the mixed migration phenomenon in West Africa and identify the protection needs and challenges of vulnerable migrants along the routes, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Office for West and Centre Africa organized a seminar on “Exploitative Labour Practices and Combatting Human Trafficking in West Africa” in Dakar, Senegal’s capital city last week.

The event was organized within the framework of the African Regional Migration Program funded by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). This program aims to support countries across the continent to improve migration management while reducing the vulnerability of migrants, and to promote regional cooperation and partnerships on migration issues.

“It is key to bring everyone together to discuss such a range of protection issues associated with migration in West Africa – from mining practices in Senegal and Guinea to border security in Liptako Gourma – arguably one of the most complex border areas in West Africa,” said Geoffrey Parker, PRM’s Regional Refugee Coordinator for West Africa at the U.S. embassy in Dakar.

“In order to effectively address the continuous protection needs of vulnerable migrants in the region, we need to increase regional and inter-country cooperation,” said Nassima Clerin, IOM regional protection specialist.

To highlight the reality of exploitative labour practices and human trafficking in West Africa, IOM presented key findings from its latest research studies conducted in several countries on West African female domestic workers in Middle East and on labour migration in mining sites in Guinea and Senegal.

“For many female sex-workers originating from the region, working conditions around the mining sites are characterized by isolation, insecurity, and exploitation, which tend to prove the existence of a sub-regional trafficking system in West Africa,” said Berenice Boukaré, IOM regional research officer. “It is key to promote a regional and cross-sector approach to better address the vulnerabilities of the most vulnerable migrant groups and build effective protection mechanisms,” she concluded.

During the seminar, Senegal’s National Anti-Human Trafficking Office also presented its data collection system on human trafficking “Systraite” allowing the Ministry of Justice for effective prevention of human trafficking and persecution of traffickers. The Mixed Migration Centre presented its recent research on smuggling practices as well as border and security governance in Liptako Gourma, in Burkina Faso and Save the Children presented effective sub-regional governance of migration and protection of the youth on the move between Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

This seminar brought together more than 45 participants from UN agencies, governments, Regional Working Group on Mixed Migration and NGOs. 

This program funded by PRM is implemented in 17 countries, including four West African countries (The Gambia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo).

For more information, please contact Donghyuk PARK, dpark@iom.int, or Nassima Clerin, clerin@iom.int at IOM Regional Office for West and Central Africa.