Bassirou Diomaye Faye is the youngest president in Senegal’s history. He is a 44-year-old tax inspector, Muslim, like most of the country’s population, and polygamous: he is frequently seen with his two wives, Marie Khone Faye, mother of four, and Absa Faye.
The ascent of Faye and his prime minister, the popular and charismatic Ousmane Sonko, has not been easy. They spent time in prison during the tenure of the previous president, Macky Sall, who tried to extend his hold on power. There were protests and violent crackdowns with at least two dozen deaths in 2023. A fresh wave of public discontent followed early this year when elections were proposed to be postponed. Yet the 17-million-strong former French colony managed to steer the situation toward a clean vote, Sall conceded defeat, and power was peacefully transferred at the end of March. It stands as a democracy lesson that is not common in a region scarred by coups.
This Thursday, Faye and Sonko will welcome Pedro Sánchez and his delegation to Dakar, the Senegalese capital. The Spanish president wraps up his West African tour, which has taken him to Mauritania, The Gambia, and Senegal, amid efforts to curb the flow of migrants to the Canary Islands by negotiating with origin and transit countries.
Revisiting Senegal’s Relationship with Spain
Faye and Sonko remain a political mystery for Spain. They belong to the Patriotes Africains du Senegal pour le Travail, l’Ethique et la Fraternité (PASTEF), a party favored by the country’s youth. Their platform promotes a form of left-wing pan-Africanism, with reduced reliance on former colonial powers and stronger regional integration, especially within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). They seek to renegotiate third-country agreements on favorable terms and are making headway little by little.
AEE Power, a Spanish energy company, is aware of this shift. The new government of Senegal recently signed a contract revision worth a little over €152 million for rural electricity distribution. The plan increases the number of towns covered by the Madrid-based firm from 1,500 to 1,740, while mandating training for young Senegalese in all aspects of the project and boosting local participation to 50%. The administration in Dakar also intends to renegotiate fishing agreements with third countries, including Spain. The Senegalese coast hosts a major fishing ground used by the Spanish fleet operating in the Atlantic. Spain has several companies, especially from Galicia, fishing under the EU-Senegal cooperation framework. The government had included renegotiation of these deals in its program.
Police and Guardia Civil Presence in The Gambia
What seems unlikely to change, according to government sources, is Spain’s deployment of police and Guardia Civil personnel in Senegal. The arrangement is part of a migration control pact to curb irregular migration and fight human-trafficking networks. Madrid says it has received no instructions from Faye or Sonko to end the Spanish patrols in the country.
Spain currently has 40 officers from the National Police and Guardia Civil in Senegal, with data from the Interior Ministry showing a three-person air unit operating a helicopter. There are also three liaison officers with Senegalese authorities and with Frontex under a European Union–Senegal police cooperation project. The Guardia Civil contributes 34 personnel stationed in various commands, equipped with four patrol boats and 13 all-terrain vehicles, with occasional reinforcement from a surveillance aircraft and a sea vessel.
Senegal’s Relative Position on Irregular Migration to Spain
Between January and June, 4,608 Senegalese nationals arrived by cayuco to Spain, largely via the Canary Islands, the most dangerous route. Each year hundreds die attempting to cross the Atlantic in fragile rafts or vessels that sometimes drift off course or sink. In Spain, more than 90,000 Senegalese residents are registered, making them the third-largest African immigrant group after Moroccans and Algerians.
A Senegalese Immigrant’s Perspective
The new Senegalese government plans to encourage young nationals to stay and develop the home country, though it will take time. A Dakar-born group of Senegalese abroad, including Momadou Diagne, notes that the first visit by the government figure in charge of Senegalese abroad underscored a commitment to new mutual ties with Spain because both countries depend on each other. Senegal now plays a strategic role amid Sahel instability.
Regional Violence and Senegal as a Stabilizing Factor
Violence plagues neighboring nations such as Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, where a three-way conflict involves Al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates, Tuareg independence movements, and the Wagner-aligned Africa Corps, supporting coup planks. Against this backdrop, Senegal’s democracy shines as a regional beacon, and Dakar seeks to position itself as a stabilizing anchor.
Circular Migration in Senegal
Among the initiatives is a push for circular migration by hiring Senegalese workers in Spain to perform temporary jobs before returning home. Yet current execution numbers are modest: only 141 Senegalese workers have arrived in Spain under this program.
A First Group and Future Prospects
Some of these workers are already in Albacete and Castile and León. The Dakar government aims to renegotiate terms to bring more temporary workers. The scheme offers four-year renewable residence and work permits; renewals hinge on return to Senegal. Pension agreements are also under negotiation.
Migration Trends and Drivers
Senegalese emigration to Spain depends on both short-term and structural factors. The immediate trigger last year was political violence that spurred more departures. In 2023, Senegalese people were the largest single nationality among irregular migrants arriving through the Canary route. That year, about 40,403 migrants reached the Canary Islands, and at least 6,766 were Senegalese. In many cases, country of origin data is missing, so the Senegalese figure could be higher. The broader trend reflects poverty and inequality that the new government seeks to reduce.
Spain–Senegal Cooperation and the Road Ahead
Spain signed a cooperation pact with Senegal in 2020 to bolster regular migration and combat trafficking networks. A year later, Pedro Sánchez and Macky Sall signed agreements to ensure safe, orderly, and legal migration flows. Now, president returns to Dakar to deepen ties with a government that is a priority for Spain on its African agenda.
Migratory Dynamics and Strategic Interests
This evolving relationship sits at the intersection of economic energy projects, fishing rights, security cooperation, and migration policy, all set against a backdrop of regional instability and shared interests in human mobility and regional integration.