Mauritania has recently sparked renewed debate over migration management. In particular, several international observers voiced their concerns over the humanitarian impact of the country’s escalating deportation campaigns.
The government has been carrying out mass arrests, with several migrant workers reporting arbitrary detentions, often in the middle of the night, taking place in large markets or even in the main streets. According to the Mauritanian Association for Human Rights (AMDH), in March 2025 alone, around 1,200 people were deported, including nearly 700 individuals with regular residence permits allowing them to legally work in the country.
For example, Omar, a 29-year-old Gambian laborer who had moved to Nouadhibou, Mauritania’s second-largest city, to earn enough money to support his family in The Gambia, was arrested and detained for three days. The constant threat of extortion and harassment fuels worries and uncertainty for migrant workers who moved to the country in search for better opportunities. Some also reported that, once taken to the local police station, they were released only after paying a bribe.
Women and children are also frequently targeted in these operations and are particularly exposed to the risks of sexual violence, malnutrition, and family separation. Mothers detained while caring for sick infants described conditions so dire that some were forced to beg guards for food. In detention, children have been held alongside adults, with limited access to hygiene, nutrition, or medical care.
While Interior Minister Mohamad Ahmed Ould Mohamed Lemine reclaimed the right to manage the movement of foreigners on national territory, he failed to publicly provide an explanation regarding the scope of the deportation. Some observers noted that the spike in arrests began shortly after Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced a new migration partnership deal between the European Union (EU) and Mauritania, worth €210 million ($248m). Specifically, Mauritania is of particular interest given its proximity to Spain’s Canary Islands. In 2024, more than half of the nearly 47,000 irregular migrants arriving on the archipelago left from the West African nation.
The agreement is in line with similar deals the EU has concluded with other countries along the main migration routes leading to the central Mediterranean, including Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, and Niger. They support efforts to externalise Europe’s borders by outsourcing migration control to African transit countries. However, human rights groups warn that these measures are fueling a humanitarian crisis, as local authorities often resort to racial profiling, arbitrary arrests, and collective expulsions to achieve the intended results.
The crackdown has turned Mauritania into a new frontier of displacement, with migrants facing abuses and persecution. This is of particular concern given the growing efforts by the European Commission to externalise its borders. While the EU looks for new ways to support security and manage migration flows, it must also ensure that human rights are effectively respected, especially when it comes to operations conducted with European funding and support.