“Barça ou Barzakh” (Barcelona or death) has become a leitmotif for many young Senega-lese who consider non-documented migration to Europe the last option for economic and social survival. The present paper analyzes the question to which extent the local non-governmental organization Collectif des femmes pour la lutte contre l’émigration clandes-tine de Thiaroye-sur-mer is able to influence the diverse causes of migration of young Senegalese to Europe by boat. It demonstrates how the organization attempts to keep po-tential “boat people” from emigrating and how successful its initiatives are. Special focus is put on the role of the mother in the migration process as well as on the status of women in the community. Based on the theory of “New Economics of Migration”, Globalization Theories, Transnational Studies as well as Gender Theories the diverse causes of migration of young Senegalese are analyzed. During a three-month stay of field work in Dakar, Sen-egal, opinions of various stakeholders were gathered through participant observation and qualitative interviews. Results highlight the increasing significance of the role of women in the community, as well as the changing role of mothers in the migration process since the foundation of the above mentioned organization in 2006. Besides various local, national and global factors, particularly the engagement of the women of Collectif des femmes pour la lutte contre l’émigration clandestine de Thiaroye-sur-mer was crucial for achieving widespread awareness of migration risks and for providing alternatives to migration.