"Helmuts", Control and a Straight Talk: Mallorca's Senegalese Leader Explains What's Going On

Between Playa de Palma and La Lonja: an open conversation

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Early in the morning, when the first vans pull up at Playa de Palma and the lounge chairs are still empty, you see them: men and women selling scarves, sunglasses, and small souvenirs. Many come from Senegal. Officially, just under 5,000 Senegalese live on the Balearic Islands, according to statistics. But how many are really here and get by without papers — no one knows for sure. You only suspect it.

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The man who stands in the middle

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Cheikh Ndiaye is the chairman of the Senegalese association on Mallorca. He speaks without mincing words. 'I used to be a market seller myself,' he tells me on the Passeig, still with the scent of coffee in the air. Today he works as a maître d’hôtel in a hotel in Palma — and he has the experience of how quickly things can slide into insecurity.

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His message is simple and at the same time uncomfortable: many arrive with empty hands, without a work or residence permit. Without papers there is no health insurance, no regulated work, no prospects. And then you try to survive somehow. Sounds banal. But it isn't.

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Controls, pressure, risk

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In recent weeks the police in Palma have intensified checks. For some residents that's a bit of order. For Ndiaye it's a concern: 'People need a chance, otherwise they will become desperate,' he says. Young men, he fears, could drift into criminal networks if no legal alternative is offered. And honestly: that would be a bad exchange for everyone.

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His proposals are pragmatic: handle residency regulations more flexibly, provide more training and further education opportunities, and finally establish a direct line between associations and authorities. 'There is a lack of work on the island,' he says, 'one should use those who are here, instead of pushing them.'

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Consequence and criticism

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At the same time, Ndiaye also criticizes parts of his community: there are people who sell drugs or steal. For that, he calls for harsh penalties. And he emphasizes: he works closely with the police to report such cases. Plain and simple, inside and outside.

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In the end, a mixed picture remains: people trying to build their lives; authorities enforcing order; and a politics that, in Ndiaye's view, has become less cooperative. If you listen to him, Mallorca has a chance: better rules now so that there will be less trouble later. Sounds reasonable. And yes, it would be nicer for all of us if less improvisation were necessary.