Suspicion against foreigners rising in Senegal amid tightened controls

The memory of that night still haunts Amadou Bangoura. Around 10 p.m., the 30-year-old Beninese student was making his way home from a gym in the Liberté 6 district of Dakar. The streets were nearly empty, shops had closed, and only a few car headlights cut through the darkness. Suddenly, a police patrol ordered him to stop. Two officers stepped out of their vehicle.

‘Show your papers,’ they demanded. The request came without explanation, leaving Bangoura stunned. Though his residency permit was valid, the encounter left him shaken—a feeling shared by many West African nationals living in Senegal.

A sweeping campaign of foreigner checks, primarily targeting West African nationals, has been underway in Dakar and its outskirts. Conducted by the Directorate of Foreign Police and Travel Documents, the initiative claims to prioritize public safety. Between June 30 and July 8, 490 controls were carried out, resulting in 36 irregular stays being referred to the prosecutor’s office.

Growing concerns over disproportionate measures

Residing in Senegal for five years with a valid permit, Bangoura isn’t alone in questioning the motives behind these sudden, large-scale operations. ‘I couldn’t help but wonder what might happen next,’ he admitted. The crackdowns are tarnishing the reputation of Senegal’s famed Teranga—a Wolof term meaning hospitality—once celebrated across the region.

Civil society leaders have voiced alarm over what they describe as a creeping normalization of suspicion toward foreigners. In a July 13 statement, they condemned arbitrary arrests, ‘unreasonable administrative demands,’ and ‘prolonged detentions.’

Social media has amplified hostility, particularly toward Guinean residents, who make up over 40% of Senegal’s foreign population. TikTok users have accused Guineans of stealing jobs from Senegalese, echoing rhetoric seen in recent protests in South Africa.

The timing of these checks coincides with Senegal’s recent assumption of the presidency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).