Migration aspirations in Senegal: Who wants to leave and why does it matter?

The document reports that a majority of young adults in Senegal wish to emigrate, primarily to Europe, regardless of their gender or relative perceptions of Europe versus Senegal. However, there is a significant gap between these aspirations and actual preparations, such as obtaining passports, with men being far more likely to take preparatory steps than women. The brief argues that migration is demand-driven and suggests that promoting circular migration and local investment can mitigate the risks associated with unfulfilled migration aspirations.

• A majority of young adults in the four studied areas of Senegal wish to emigrate within five years, with the proportion ranging from 64 per cent to 82 per cent. Europe is the preferred destination for the vast majority of these individuals.
• Migration aspirations are high across genders, with women's aspirations being almost as widespread as men's, although actual migration remains heavily male-dominated.
• There is a substantial gap between the desire to migrate and actual preparatory actions. In most research areas, men are roughly three times more likely than women to hold a valid passport, though this gender gap is less pronounced in the more socially liberal Golf Sud area.
• Preferred destinations vary by region: Italy is most desired in Darou Mousty and Lambaye, France dominates in Orkadiére (80 per cent of those wishing to emigrate), and Golf Sud shows the greatest diversity of preferences, including higher interest in North America.
• Relative perceptions of Europe and Senegal do not strongly influence migration aspirations; approximately three quarters of respondents in most perception groups would prefer to emigrate, regardless of whether they view Europe slightly more positively than Senegal.
• The document suggests that because migration is strongly demand-driven and often viewed as a temporary investment, stakeholders should encourage circular migration and regularize undocumented migrants to increase mobility.

APA

Carling, J., Fall, P. D., Hernández-Carretero, M., Sarr, M. Y., & Wu, J. (2013). Migration aspirations in Senegal: Who wants to leave and why does it matter? Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/826cbbea-6404-4956-962c-30a9fd6e3d9d/Migration aspirations in Senegal Who wants to leave and why does it matter.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Carling, Jørgen, Papa Demba Fall, María Hernández-Carretero, Mame Yassine Sarr, and Jennifer Wu. Migration aspirations in Senegal: Who wants to leave and why does it matter? Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2013. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/826cbbea-6404-4956-962c-30a9fd6e3d9d/Migration aspirations in Senegal Who wants to leave and why does it matter.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Carling |first1=Jørgen |last2=Fall |first2=Papa Demba |last3=Hernández-Carretero |first3=María |last4=Sarr |first4=Mame Yassine |last5=Wu |first5=Jennifer |title=Migration aspirations in Senegal: Who wants to leave and why does it matter? |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=January 2013 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/826cbbea-6404-4956-962c-30a9fd6e3d9d/Migration aspirations in Senegal Who wants to leave and why does it matter.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{carling2013migration, author = {Carling, Jørgen and Fall, Papa Demba and Hernández-Carretero, María and Sarr, Mame Yassine and Wu, Jennifer}, title = {{Migration aspirations in Senegal: Who wants to leave and why does it matter?}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/826cbbea-6404-4956-962c-30a9fd6e3d9d/Migration aspirations in Senegal Who wants to leave and why does it matter.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }