IMMIGRATION
SENEGAL: Lenine Nankassa Boucal wins 2020 Charles Biddle Prize in Canada
Born in Ziguinchor, Lenine Nankassa Boucal is a social entrepreneur and cultural worker based in Quebec since 2007. After travelling through this French-speaking province of Canada and living between its small and large cities, it was in Rimouski in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region (Est-duQuébec), where he finally dropped his bags in 2014. Very involved in his host community, Mr. Boucal is a key player in Eastern Quebec in terms of promoting cultural diversity, intercultural rapprochement and, above all, living together better.
Founder and coordinator of the Cabaret de la diversité and instigator of Black History Month Bas-Saint-Laurent, Lenine is at the origin of several inclusive projects that promote intercultural dialogue and better living together. Besides, several Senegalese artists such as Ilam, Bo Diaw, Karim Dabo, Zal Sissokho (best album of the year 2020, Quebec, Canada) or Simon Kouka, have already taken part in the unifying events of the Cabaret de la diversité. Since 2018, he has been involved in several projects at the Cabaret de al diversité, including the Arbre à palabres at the Salon du livre de Rimouski, the oldest of its kind in Canada. The Université du Québec à Rimouski hosted a conference by Mr. Kouka on the Y’EN A MARRE movement in November 2018.
Watch the video here :
This award is collective. Born in Ziguinchor, a city with a cemetery where Christians and Muslims are buried together and have grown up in Senegal where Islamo-Christian dialogue is a given; I was deeply imbued with these values of solidarity and better living together. Moreover, I believe that we have a moral duty to leave our children a better world of love for tolerance, peace, justice, equity and better living together where every Human counts; without distinction of any race, religion, sex or socio-status.economic.” – Lenine Nankassa Boucal, founder of the Cabaret de la diversité and instigator of Black History Month Bas-Saint-Laurent
A recipient of the Lys de la diversité du Québec Award at the Grands Prix Mosaic (May 2019, National Bank of Canada), a favourite of the year for Bas-Saint-Laurent audiences (December 2019, Radio-Canada), Mr. Boucal was awarded on October 21, the prestigious Charles Biddle Award, which recognizes the exceptional contribution of people who have immigrated to Quebec and whose personal or professional commitment contributes to the cultural and artistic development of Quebec. The announcement was made jointly by Nadine Girault, Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie and Minister of Immigration, Francisation and Integration, and Brigitte Melançon, Director, Communication and Education, Culture pour tous. Through their achievements, these women and men are models of success, both in their field and for Quebec society as a whole.
The National Navy has boarded Thursday, August 24, 2024 a dugout canoe of clandestines off the coast of Saint-Louisiennes. The canoe had 97 migrants on board, including 83 Senegalese (three women and two minors). The other 14 are foreigners (12 Gambians and 02 Malians), reports the newspaper Les Échos.
According to the information of the newspaper, they were sent by the navy Thursday, aboard the patrol at sea «le Fouladou» to the Arsenal of the National Navy at the Autonomous Port of Dakar. Upon landing, they were received by the commander of the naval base of the French Navy.
It should be noted that «as soon as the navy announced the interception of this canoe, the prosecutor of the Republic opened an investigation to know the ins and outs. The investigation is entrusted to the National Directorate for Combating Smuggling of Migrants (DNLT) of the Directorate of Air and Border Police,” the newspaper added
“When asked at the outset where they were embarking, they replied that the canoe left on 21 August in Kayar. They were intercepted 250 km off the coast of Saint-Louis by the French Navy on the night of August 21 to 22,” our colleagues explain
Sixty-six (66) people arrived during the day of Thursday, August 03, 2023 in Tenerife aboard two canoes. In one of them there were 14 people and in the other 52.
Several of the migrants were transferred to health centres with various health situations, a journalist told the news. The majority of its young people are Senegalese.
As a reminder, in Africa, migrant smuggling brings 59 billion CFA francs to smugglers per year. Illicit financial flows (FFI) from the smuggling of migrants from West Africa to Europe are estimated at more than $100 million per year, 59,250,000,000 CFA francs, according to a report published by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) on Friday, July 28, 2023.
“Moderate estimates of human smuggling from West Africa to Europe alone exceed $100 million,” the study, “Illicit financial flows from migrant smuggling: Trends and responses in West Africa,” said.
“In 2020, migration data showed an increase in migrant crossings from Senegal to the Canary Islands by about 1,000% compared to the 2011-2019 period,” the report notes.
With regard to Senegal, the seaway is the most popular with smugglers, the authors of the report stress. “Smugglers are using the maritime routes from Senegal to the Spanish Canary Islands as a gateway to Europe because of increasing restrictions on the Mediterranean route,” says the document.
According to the authors of this report, coastal towns like Saint Louis and Mbour are the main departure points for the Canary Islands ‘of irregular migrants [who] also leave certain fishing villages, such as Joal, Thiaroye and Soumbedioune.”
They also note the presence of candid
Illicit financial flows (FFI) from migrant smuggling from West Africa to Europe are estimated at more than $100 million per year, or 59,250,000,000 CFA francs, according to a report published by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), this Friday, July 28, 2023.
“Moderate estimates of human smuggling from West Africa to Europe alone exceed $100 million,” the study, “Illicit financial flows from migrant smuggling: Trends and responses in West Africa,” said.
“In 2020, migration data showed an increase in migrant crossings from Senegal to the Canary Islands by about 1,000% compared to the 2011-2019 period,” the report notes.
With regard to Senegal, the seaway is the most popular with smugglers, the authors of the report stress. “Smugglers are using the maritime routes from Senegal to the Spanish Canary Islands as a gateway to Europe because of increasing restrictions on the Mediterranean route,” says the document.
According to the authors of this report, coastal towns like Saint Louis and Mbour are the main departure points for the Canary Islands ‘of irregular migrants [who] also leave certain fishing villages, such as Joal, Thiaroye and Soumbedioune.”
They also note the presence of candidates for irregular migration from other West African countries, to whom smugglers “generally require full payment in advance (…) between $400 and $600.”
However, the report says, “in 2023, the use of maritime routes appears to have decreased, suggesting that COVID-19 restrictions on land borders played a role in the increased use of maritime routes between 2020 and 2022.”
On a global scale, migrant smuggling brings smugglers more than 10 billion dollars per year, or 5 925 000 000 000 CFA francs, according to estimates by the rappor
