Civil society organisation, BOZA FII, has intensified its campaign against the externalisation of European borders into Africa, warning that the growing presence and activities of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, in Senegal pose serious threats to freedom of movement, human rights and national sovereignty.

The organisation, which works with migrants who voluntarily return home, deported migrants and families of people who have disappeared along migration routes, said it is using research, public awareness campaigns and advocacy to challenge policies that restrict mobility and shift European border controls beyond the continent.

BOZA FII said its campaign, tagged “72 Hours: Push Back Frontex,” was launched in September 2022 after research into Frontex’s deployment in Senegal revealed what it described as limited public awareness of the agency and its activities.

According to the organisation, the campaign was designed to educate Senegalese citizens about the implications of Frontex’s presence and mobilise opposition to what it considers the expansion of the European Union’s border control system into African countries.

“We want to make our government understand that we do not agree with the deployment of Frontex in Senegal,” the organisation said, adding that it seeks to expose the impact of Frontex operations in the Mediterranean, the Aegean Sea and other migration routes.

BOZA FII said its response to border externalisation goes beyond public protests. The group said it conducts research into Frontex’s operations, builds alliances among movements campaigning for social justice and human rights, and promotes public debate on migration based on knowledge and evidence.

The organisation has also placed the defence of freedom of movement within the ECOWAS region at the centre of its advocacy, citing regional, African and international human rights instruments that protect mobility, equality in expulsion procedures and prohibit collective expulsions.

It argued that the expansion of surveillance systems, biometric data collection, border intelligence networks and joint security operations could further undermine the rights of migrants and ordinary citizens.

BOZA FII particularly raised concerns about systems designed to strengthen controls at land, sea and air borders, including the Migration Information and Data Analysis System, MIDAS, and the presence of foreign liaison officers and joint security teams.

The organisation said its investigations had also focused on Frontex’s long-standing links with Senegal, including Operation Hera, launched in 2006, and the establishment of the Africa-Frontex Intelligence Community, AFIC, which has expanded to involve dozens of African countries.

According to BOZA FII, exposing these arrangements is critical to helping communities understand how European migration control policies are increasingly being implemented outside Europe’s borders.

The group further warned that proposed agreements allowing greater Frontex deployment could have implications for Senegal’s sovereignty and create additional risks of human rights violations.

It also expressed concern about the potential impact of expanded maritime surveillance on artisanal fishermen in Senegal and the wider ECOWAS region, warning that fishermen could face pushbacks or restrictions if suspected of transporting migrants.

As part of its long-term strategy, BOZA FII said it plans to organise the 72 Hours: Push Back Frontex campaign annually in Senegal, using the platform to sustain public awareness, challenge restrictive border policies and demand greater protection of migrants and their families.

The organisation said its ultimate objective is to resist the externalisation of European border controls, defend freedom of movement and expose what it described as the human consequences of migration policies that prioritise stopping African migrants from reaching Europe.

BOZA FII said it would continue working with civil society and affected communities to ensure that the debate on migration places human dignity, the rights of migrants and the right of families to know the fate of missing relatives at its centre.

Alarm Phone activists have visited Côte d’Ivoire to honour migrants who died while attempting to reach the European Union and protest what the organisation described as deadly European border policies.

In a series of posts on X, the organisation, which provides independent support to people attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, said the increasingly restrictive border policies were forcing migrants to take more dangerous routes.

“AlarmPhone activists were in #Côted’Ivoire to pay tribute to those who died while attempting to reach the ‘fortress’ #UE and to protest against the deadly border policies that force increasingly dangerous routes,” the organisation said.

Alarm Phone said its activists stood alongside families mourning relatives who lost their lives during migration journeys, stressing that the deaths at sea were a consequence of policies that leave migrants with limited safe options to reach Europe.

“Standing alongside the families who mourn the loss of their loved ones!” the organisation said.

The group renewed its call for freedom of movement and the creation of safe routes for people seeking to enter the European Union.

“We demand #FreedomOfMovement for all and safe passages!” it said.

According to Alarm Phone, providing safe and legal routes is essential to preventing further deaths in the Mediterranean, where migrants and refugees continue to undertake dangerous sea crossings in search of safety and better living conditions.

“It is the only way to put an end to mass deaths at sea,” the organisation said.

The comments come amid continued concerns over deaths and disappearances involving migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean, with rights groups repeatedly calling on European governments to expand safe migration pathways and strengthen search-and-rescue efforts.

Alarm Phone has consistently urged European authorities to prioritise the protection of human life and ensure that people attempting to cross the Mediterranean are not left without assistance.

At least 12 people have died after a boat carrying about 15 mostly young passengers capsized off the southeastern coast of Tunisia, authorities said.

The Tunisia National Guard recovered 12 bodies over the weekend after the vessel sank about 14 nautical miles off Zarzis on Friday night. Search operations continued on Sunday for two people still missing.

One passenger survived after reportedly spending about 48 hours adrift at sea before being rescued by a commercial vessel on Saturday, according to Tunisian radio station Mosaique, cited by the Associated Press.

The passengers were believed to have been attempting to reach Italy, with the vessel reportedly heading towards Lampedusa, an Italian island located about 145 kilometres from Tunisia.

National Guard spokesperson Houssem Eddine Jebabli said the search-and-rescue operation involved National Guard and naval units, Civil Protection personnel and two helicopters.

In a statement, the National Guard confirmed the recovery of 12 bodies and said efforts to locate the remaining missing passengers were continuing.

Authorities also said arrangements were being accelerated to return the recovered bodies to their families.

Families among passengers

Fourteen of those aboard were reportedly residents of Ben Guerdane, a coastal town in southeastern Tunisia near the Libyan border, while the other passenger was from nearby Zarzis.

Reports said seven members of the same family were among those aboard. A man and his pregnant wife were also reportedly travelling on the boat.

The vessel was said to have departed between Zarzis and Ben Guerdane on Thursday morning before sinking the following night.

Protests erupt in Ben Guerdane

The deaths triggered protests in Ben Guerdane, where many of the passengers lived.

Demonstrators reportedly blocked roads and set tyres on fire, demanding that authorities intensify rescue efforts and locate those still missing.

Security forces were said to have used tear gas to disperse the protesters.

The incident has also renewed concerns over the economic pressures facing young people in Tunisia’s border regions, where limited employment opportunities have contributed to growing frustration.

Official figures put Tunisia’s unemployment rate among people aged 15 to 24 at 35 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, down from 38 per cent in the first quarter. Youth unemployment stood at about 35 per cent among men and 37 per cent among women.

Ben Guerdane and other towns in southeastern Tunisia have long depended heavily on formal and informal cross-border trade with Libya. The region, however, has faced persistent economic challenges and limited opportunities for young people.

The latest tragedy adds to the growing number of deadly incidents involving boats attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, highlighting the risks faced by migrants and other passengers seeking better economic prospects or opportunities abroad.