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Mauritania: Another mass expulsion of Sub-Saharan migrants

April 21, 2025

Mauritania is enforcing a 2024 agreement with the European Union to combat irregular migration, resulting in mass arrests and expulsions of Sub-Saharan African migrants. The EU provided EUR 210 million (over USD 230 million) in funding to Mauritania as part of its strategy to reduce migration flows from West Africa to Europe. While Mauritanian officials report expelling 10,753 migrants in recent operations (a 14% increase from 2023), human rights organizations and lawmakers have raised concerns about potential human rights violations during these enforcement actions.

Who is affected

  • Sub-Saharan African migrants in Mauritania, particularly those who are undocumented
  • Mauritania's neighboring countries, specifically Mali and Senegal, whose citizens are being expelled
  • Mauritanian businesses and sectors that employ migrant workers, particularly the gold panning industry where migrants constitute 52% of workers
  • Human rights organizations and civil society actors monitoring the situation
  • Mauritania's international reputation and diplomatic relationships

What action is being taken

  • Mauritanian authorities are conducting mass arrests and expulsions of migrants deemed to be undocumented
  • Human rights organizations and lawmakers are denouncing what they describe as arbitrary arrests and expulsions without proper legal procedures
  • Senegalese parliamentarian Guy Marius Sagna is calling for a parliamentary fact-finding mission
  • Civil society actors are mobilizing against reported police misconduct and alleged extortion of migrants
  • The European Union and Spain are providing financial support of EUR 210 million to Mauritania for migration control efforts

Why it matters

  • The expulsions represent the implementation of the EU's migration control strategy in transit countries
  • The EU reported 239,000 irregular migrants attempted to cross its borders in 2024, a 38% drop from 2023
  • According to Mauritanian Minister of the Interior Mohamed Ahmed Ould Mohamed Lemine, the government expelled 10,753 migrants, a 14% increase from 2023
  • The operations raise concerns about respect for human rights and could damage Mauritania's international reputation
  • Migrants constitute a significant portion of certain economic sectors in Mauritania, with 52% of gold panning workers being migrants (97% of whom are men)
  • The situation risks creating diplomatic tensions between Mauritania and migrants' countries of origin

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices