Hostile Rhetoric Toward Foreigners in Senegal: What the 2023 Warning Revealed

The issue of xenophobia in Senegal was publicly raised by three human rights organisations. In a joint statement published on 18 August 2023, they said they were deeply concerned about a rise in hostile rhetoric toward foreigners in the media and on social networks.

This warning particularly concerns West African nationals living and working in Senegal, including Guineans and Nigeriens. It is a reminder that a country known for its hospitality cannot be reduced to a fixed image: local tensions, economic hardship and debates over the use of public space can also fuel rejectionist rhetoric. This does not justify stigmatisation or violence against people because of their nationality.

A warning over rhetoric targeting foreign communities

The organisations that signed the 18 August 2023 statement denounced an increase in attacks and rhetoric targeting foreign communities living in Senegal. Their concerns relate both to public discourse and to its circulation across media and digital spaces.

The issue is therefore not limited to disputes between individuals. When a group is collectively portrayed as responsible for nuisances, economic difficulties or security problems, the risk is that complex social situations are turned into accusations against an entire nationality.

Footage showing migrants being driven out of certain neighbourhoods also circulated widely on social networks. According to the reported information, people described as Nigerien were allegedly targeted. The complaints mentioned included sleeping outdoors, the alleged uncleanliness of the areas and disturbances attributed to these settlements. When such issues are generalised to an entire community, they fuel a climate of hostility.

The Guinean presence in Senegal at the centre of many tensions

The Guinean community is described as the largest foreign community living in Senegal. It reportedly includes around 84,000 Guinean nationals, or nearly 40% of all foreigners living in the country, according to figures cited in the available information.

A large part of this population lives in Dakar and other major cities. Its members work particularly in small-scale trade and services: selling fruit and vegetables, running neighbourhood shops, men’s hairdressing, laundry services, catering and other local activities.

These activities are highly visible in daily life and can create competition with other traders. Some Senegalese therefore accuse Guineans of offering lower prices, occupying sales spaces or taking precarious jobs. Yet their presence is also associated with greater availability of certain products, more affordable prices and the vitality of small businesses, including informal ones.

Many foreign workers also send part of their income to family members who remain in their country of origin. This migration reality is not, in itself, a fault: it reflects the search for work and resources in a West African region where movement between neighbouring countries has long existed.

Use of public space, unsanitary conditions and precariousness: problems requiring specific responses

Residents and traders in certain parts of Dakar, including Colobane, have raised several sources of dissatisfaction. Foreign families are reportedly sleeping on pavements, in front of shops or in the streets. Traders say they find that their storefronts or selling areas have been turned into sleeping spaces at night.

The reported complaints also concern the accumulation of rubbish, bad smells, poor hygiene and the unhealthy nature of certain places. Added to this is a sense of insecurity expressed by some local residents, with fears relating to theft, fights or the long-term presence of people in extreme vulnerability.

These difficulties should not be denied. They require practical solutions concerning accommodation, sanitation, market organisation, access to essential services and security. However, they do not justify collectively attributing these problems to all Guineans, all Nigeriens or all foreigners.

The distinction is fundamental: addressing precarious encampments, the occupation of a pavement or waste management falls within the scope of local public action. Defining people as a problem because of their national origin is a form of stigmatisation. Authorities and public officials therefore have a particular responsibility in their choice of words when addressing foreign communities.

Why discussing xenophobia requires precision

The term “xenophobia” refers to hostility toward people perceived as foreign. It does not mean that every criticism of an urban, economic or social situation is automatically xenophobic. But it becomes relevant when criticism indiscriminately targets a population because of its origin, when insults against it circulate, or when assaults and de facto expulsions target people identified as foreigners.

Economic tensions appear to play an important role in the grievances expressed. Competition in small trades, limited space in markets, precariousness and difficulties in urban management can intensify conflicts. However, explaining a phenomenon through these tensions does not mean excusing it.

Migrants may be especially exposed when they live in precarious conditions, work in the informal sector or lack access to stable housing. Their vulnerability must not turn them into easy targets for frustrations built up over months or years.

Preserving hospitality and the dignity of all

Senegal is often associated with teranga, an idea of hospitality and welcome. The warning issued in 2023 shows that this value must be protected in practice, including when social conditions are difficult and residents face real problems in their neighbourhoods.

Responding to the concerns of local residents and traders requires improved management of public space. Responding to migrants’ precariousness also means not reducing them to their nationality or exposing them to humiliation, threats or violence. These two requirements are not contradictory.

Finally, combating hostile rhetoric requires responsible public speech. Debates on immigration, trade, hygiene or security must remain based on clearly identified situations and proportionate solutions, without turning entire communities into scapegoats.

Frequently asked questions

When did organisations warn about hostile rhetoric toward foreigners in Senegal?

Three human rights organisations issued a joint statement on 18 August 2023. In it, they expressed concern over the rise of xenophobic and anti-foreigner rhetoric in the media and on social networks.

Which communities are mainly mentioned in this warning?

The reported information mentions Guinean and Nigerien nationals in particular, as well as other people from West Africa living in Senegal.

Do public-space problems justify hostile rhetoric toward foreigners?

No. Issues involving precarious housing, sanitation, security or the use of pavements may require public responses, but they do not justify stigmatising an entire population based on its nationality.