In September 2007, images of a drowned man washed up on a rocky seashore appeared on Senegalese television sets, as part of a campaign to discourage Senegalese to stay in Senegal, and not risk their lives trying to reach Spain and Europe. The same advertisement features Senegalese pop star Youssou N’Dour, saying You already know how this story ends. Thousands of young people have died. Don’t risk your life for nothing. You are the future of Africa. Ricardo Losa, the spokesman for the Spanish Ministry of External Affairs and Cooperation says that the aim of the campaign is to discourage Senegalese from dangerous sea-crossings. The drowning deaths of would-be immigrants are a tragic element to the increasingly heated debate of immigration in Europe. While exact figures are unknown due to many would-be migrants being lost at sea, it is estimated that several thousand die each year trying to reach Spain alone.
