After more than two decades of anticipation, Senegal’s parliament has finally ratified a historic bilateral agreement with Morocco that will enable detained Senegalese nationals to serve their sentences in their home country. The agreement, originally signed on December 17, 2004, in Rabat, sets out a legal framework for the transfer of prisoners between the two nations, as well as consular protection for detainees.
The deal, which affects nearly 300 Senegalese nationals currently imprisoned in Morocco, aims to facilitate the repatriation of prisoners and reduce the psychological and logistical burdens of serving time far from home. It was presented jointly by the Foreign Affairs and Law Committees and ratified under the leadership of Yassine Fall, Senegal’s Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs. Fall emphasized that the agreement would bolster judicial cooperation between the two countries and better safeguard the rights of Senegalese citizens held in Moroccan prisons.
While the ratification has been broadly welcomed, lawmakers expressed concerns about the long delay in finalizing the agreement and the conditions of detention in Moroccan prisons. Many of the Senegalese detainees in Morocco face charges related to irregular migration, drug trafficking, and other criminal offenses. Morocco remains a key transit point for migrants attempting to reach Europe, and its prisons house many individuals who were caught during migration attempts or for crimes associated with this route.
The bilateral agreement includes clear procedures for transferring prisoners, specifying who can request the transfer, how sentences will be enforced once the prisoners return to Senegal, and how the costs will be shared between the two nations. Senegal has agreed to cover the majority of the costs, though the terms may be adjusted as per future negotiations between the countries.
In addition to judicial cooperation, the agreement strengthens the longstanding diplomatic relationship between Senegal and Morocco, which dates back to the 1960s. The two countries have maintained strong ties in areas such as security, economic collaboration, education, and infrastructure development.
This long-awaited ratification marks a significant step in the enhancement of bilateral relations between the two North African countries and is expected to positively impact the lives of many Senegalese citizens currently incarcerated in Morocco.
