top of page
Presentation of the Reception Point for Refugees and Immigrants (PARI)
What is the PARI?

This small structure, which works within the framework of Caritas-Dakar, has been set up for 20 years by parishes and communities. nuns in Dakar , then harassed by the crowd of refugees and immigrants and often overwhelmed by the problems that this posed to them.

By pooling some of their resources, these communities have set up this Reception Point which, in the city, has become one of the only places where refugees and immigrants can find a welcome, listening, and possibly assistance . With resources that remain very modest, the IRAP is facing a growing influx of asylum seekers in difficulty. The persistent instability of several West African countries is obviously the most immediate cause.

Why Dakar?

This city is indeed a privileged destination for many of those who had to flee their country not only in West Africa but also in other regions of the continent. The peace which reigns in Senegal as well as its geographical situation play a determining role in this regard.

Dakar is also an obligatory place of passage for many candidates for distant emigration. We stop there to regain strength before possibly continuing the adventure. Often we stay there for lack of means or daring, we are trapped there: impossible to return home, we are ashamed, we have failed and we should be able to reimburse those who financed the “saving” trip of the whole family. We find ourselves a de facto, if not de jure, refugee. Among the involuntary guests in Dakar, there are also those who have been forcibly repatriated from Europe, those who have been sent back from neighboring countries; all find themselves in the same situation of great precariousness.

Senegalese “Teranga” is not an empty word. There is a real hospitality here which tolerates the presence of a large number of foreigners and allows the integration of many of them into the informal sector of the economy which already supports half of the population.

Work methods

  • The IRAP does not bother with the legal distinctions between recognized refugees and simple asylum seekers. It is open to everyone, especially newcomers, to help them find their way.

    The assistance given is minimal and reserved for the most vulnerable cases . The IRAP favors listening, support and empowerment of those concerned. This is how he may possibly pay one or two months' rent, but it is the refugee who must find a room to rent, at the lowest possible price. It can also support a "very small project" of professional integration, put it is the refugee who must imagine it according to his capacities, to evaluate the profitability of it, to seek the place where to exercise this activity. These “Tout Petits Projets” (TPP) are currently the PARI's preferred instrument of action to help refugees / immigrants survive on their own.

Structure and Resources

To reduce operating costs to a minimum, the PARI has a more than modest lifestyle: very simple premises, provided by Caritas, Km 2 Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop, minimum equipment, a car, a single employee : the Permanent Coordinator.

Its collaborators are all volunteers, interns and volunteers from all continents.

The operating costs are covered by the annual contributions of the parishes and religious communities of Dakar which are at the origin of the project. And their support has not wavered from the start. The IRAP can also count on annual aid from Secours Catholique Français and on some external contributions.

Sectoral programs

THE BET. has gradually moved towards the design of sectoral programs responding to specific needs and which are taken, or could be supported, each in its own right, by institutions or organizations. In this perspective, the funds allocated to a particular program go entirely to the beneficiaries of the project, a minimum amount per case is used to cover the overhead costs incurred by the case itself. The implementation of these programs indeed requires a real work on the ground to verify the assertions of the refugees; surprise visits sometimes make it possible to discover that the reality is quite different from what was told. Project monitoring is also very important.

Very Small Projects Program (TPP)

It is moreover the experience of treating hundreds of “Tout Petits Projets” (TPP) over several years that has been the driving force behind this restructuring of IRAP's work.

  • This program concerns refugees or immigrants who say they are ready to work with their own hands in a sector where they have a certain qualification or experience. It will then be, after an in-depth study of the case, the supply of tools (hairdresser, shoe repairer, etc.), equipment or food (making donuts, making greeting cards or handicrafts. , etc ...) or effects to be marketed (sale of clothes, fruits, eggs, etc ...) all for a current minimum of 80,000 CFA francs.

In certain critical cases, to prevent the material supplied from being resold or diverted, a food package is added for a total amount of around 10,000 CFA francs. which allows a family to survive for a week.

There is never any remittance of money and purchases are made in the presence of the interested party by IRAP collaborators .

Justifications

In addition to this, you need to know more about it.

For each of its support programs, IRAP undertakes to provide a supporting file every month. This file contains the following documents:

Individual files:

  • personal file with brief account of the case

  • list of purchases / expenses made for the case

  • supporting accounting documents for purchases (invoice, prescriptions, photocopies, tickets, etc.)

  • beneficiary photo

Monthly recap:

  • accounting

  • balance sheet

At the end of the year, a summary and complete file of the specific program is provided.

bottom of page