The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad building. Photo by Jean Sovon. Used with permission

In Mauritania, hundreds of Sub-Saharan African migrants are facing arrests and expulsions. According to various Mauritanian civil society actors, this is due to an agreement between Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, and the European Union (EU).

In early 2017, the EU revealed its intention to block the passage of migrants, especially those from Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the EU, in 2024, an estimated 239,000 irregular migrants attempted to cross the EU borders, a 38 percent drop from 2023.

Since then, Brussels, the EU de facto capital, has updated its migration policy in collaboration with migrant transit countries, such as Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania, whose coastline is a point of departure.

In February 2024, Mauritania signed a partnership agreement with the EU. The agreement provided EUR 210 million (more than USD 230 million) worth of funding to combat smugglers and manage irregular migration from this country.

In September 2024, Mauritania fulfilled its obligations, expelling a significant number of migrants. Info Migrants, a news site for migrants,  quoted Mohamed Ahmed Ould Mohamed Lemine, the Mauritanian Minister of the Interior, as saying the government had expelled some 10,753 migrants, an increase of 14 percent from 2023.

Since late February 2025, Sub-Saharan migrants in Mauritania have faced another wave of mass expulsions. According to the country’s authorities, these migrants are undocumented.  But hasn’t Mauritania now become the European border watchdog? Global Voices interviewed Khally Diallo, a member of the Mauritanian National Assembly, via WhatsApp to answer this question.

Jean Sovon (JS): What are the reasons behind the Sub-Saharan migrant expulsions in your country?

Khally Diallo (KD) : La Mauritanie a récemment bénéficié d’un soutien financier conséquent de 210 millions d’euros (plus de 230 millions de dollars américains), octroyé par l’Union européenne et l’Espagne, dans le cadre de la lutte contre l’immigration irrégulière. Ce partenariat s’inscrit dans une stratégie plus large visant à endiguer les flux migratoires en provenance d’Afrique de l’Ouest, la Mauritanie étant devenue, ces dernières années, un point de passage privilégié pour de nombreux migrants en route vers l’Europe.

En s’engageant à travers cet accord, la Mauritanie accepte de renforcer ses efforts en matière de contrôle migratoire. Toutefois, on peut quand-même noter certaines limites dans la mise en œuvre de cette politique. En effet, les actions entreprises sur le terrain se traduisent souvent par des vagues d’arrestations et d’expulsions, parfois menées de manière ciblée, ce qui peut soulever des interrogations sur le respect des droits humains et sur l’efficacité durable de l’approche adoptée.

Khally Diallo (KD): Mauritania recently received EUR 210 million (more than USD 230 million) of funding from the European Union and Spain to combat irregular migration. This partnership is part of a broader strategy to stem the migration flows from West Africa. In recent years, Mauritania has become a gateway for many migrants bound for Europe.

In committing to this agreement, Mauritania agreed to strengthen its migration control efforts. However, there are certain limitations in implementing this policy. The action undertaken often results in mass arrests and expulsions, sometimes carried out in a targeted manner. This raises questions about the respect for human rights and the long-term effectiveness of the approach taken.

JS: Which nationalities does this operation target? Doesn’t this policy risk raising tensions between Mauritania and its neighbors?

KD : Aucune nationalité n'est explicitement visée dans les opérations menées, mais les pratiques répressives observées, bien qu’elles puissent répondre à des impératifs de sécurité nationale (selon le gouvernement), traduisent une approche parfois déséquilibrée de la gestion du phénomène migratoire. Elles apparaissent en décalage avec les exigences d’une politique plus globale, humaine et durable, qui devrait s’appuyer sur une compréhension des causes profondes de la migration et le respect inconditionnel de la dignité des personnes concernées.

C'est impératif que ces actions soient menées avec discernement et dans le strict respect des droits humains, afin d’éviter tout amalgame ou traitement excessif pouvant porter atteinte à l’image de la Mauritanie sur la scène internationale, notamment auprès des pays d’origine des migrants. Une telle perception risquerait d’entacher les efforts entrepris et de susciter des tensions diplomatiques inutiles.

KD: These operations don’t explicitly target any specific nationality. However,  the repressive practices observed, which the government says are for national security reasons, reflect a sometimes unbalanced approach to migration management. They are not in keeping with the requirements of a broader, more humane, and sustainable policy built upon a solid understanding of the root causes of migration and unconditional respect for human dignity.

These actions must be taken with discernment and in strict compliance with human rights to avoid any harsh treatment that could damage Mauritania's international reputation, especially in the migrants’ countries of origin. A negative perception could tarnish the country’s efforts and raise unnecessary diplomatic tensions.

In the migrants’ countries of origin, these expulsions are hard to take. In Mali, the conditions for expulsion have raised tensions among the authorities. In Senegal, parliamentarian Guy Marius Sagna is dealing with the matter and has called for a parliamentary fact-finding mission. On Facebook, he posted:

Screenshot of the Facebook post of Senegalese parliamentarian Guy Marius Sagna sur Facebook. Fair use.

I have received several reports from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. I have received information about human rights violations and xenophobic campaigns against citizens from Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, and other African countries. I have also received daily reports of inhumane arrests and expulsions for quite some time.

Mauritania is a sovereign state with the right to set its own rules, and Senegalese nationals who go to Mauritania must respect them.

I propose that the Senegalese National Assembly create a fact-finding mission in Mauritania to assess the current situation of our Senegalese compatriots, ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) citizens, African nationals, and migrants.

I will also ask the government about the situation of our Senegalese compatriots in Mauritania.

GMS,

JS: What do human rights organizations think of this situation?

KD : Les organisations de défense des droits de l’homme, plusieurs acteurs de la société civile ainsi que moi-même en tant que député du peuple, avons vivement réagi face à cette situation. Nous dénonçons fermement les excès constatés lors des opérations de contrôle, notamment les arrestations arbitraires, les conditions de détention, ainsi que les expulsions menées sans respect des procédures légales.

Nous appelons les autorités à faire davantage, preuve de de retenue et de discernement, parce que la lutte contre l’immigration irrégulière ne saurait justifier des atteintes aux droits fondamentaux. Cette mobilisation s’est intensifiée à la suite d’une vague d’indignation sur les réseaux sociaux, où plusieurs témoignages ont mis en lumière des bavures policières, ainsi que des cas d’abus manifestes.

Des allégations préoccupantes font également état de pratiques illégales, où certains migrants se seraient vus contraints de verser de l’argent pour éviter l’expulsion ou pour obtenir un statut de séjour précaire. De telles dérives, si elles sont avérées, constituent une exploitation inacceptable de la vulnérabilité des migrants et sapent les efforts de transparence et de bonne gouvernance.

KD: Human rights organizations, various civil society actors, and myself, a people’s representative, reacted fiercely to this situation. We strongly condemn the abuse observed during the control operations, especially the arbitrary arrests, detention conditions, and expulsions conducted within due process of law.

We call on the authorities to do more and exercise restraint and discernment. Combating irregular immigration does not justify the violation of human rights. Our activism escalated following a wave of indignation on social media, where several accounts highlighted police misconduct and cases of flagrant abuse.

There are also some worrying allegations of unlawful practices, where some migrants are reportedly forced to pay to avoid expulsion or to obtain a precarious residence status. Such malpractice, if proven, is an unacceptable exploitation of migrants’ vulnerability, undermining transparency efforts and good governance.

JS: Are there solutions to address this situation?

KD : Dans un esprit de responsabilité partagée, j’invite l’ensemble des ressortissants non mauritaniens établis sur notre territoire à se conformer aux exigences légales en matière de séjour. C'est essentiel qu’ils régularisent leur situation, non seulement pour leur sécurité personnelle, mais aussi pour qu’ils puissent vivre en Mauritanie dans la dignité et en toute sérénité. Cependant, cet appel à la régularisation doit nécessairement s’accompagner d’un engagement fort de la part des autorités mauritaniennes.

Je trouve qu'il est impératif de faciliter l’accès aux titres de séjour en mettant en place des procédures claires, accessibles, transparentes et équitables. Actuellement, force est de constater que de nombreux étrangers se heurtent à un véritable parcours du combattant pour obtenir ces documents. Cette complexité ouvre malheureusement la voie à diverses formes d’arnaques, d’abus administratifs et de corruption, au détriment des plus vulnérables. Une réforme en profondeur du système de délivrance des titres de séjour s’impose donc. Elle devrait inclure la simplification des démarches, la réduction des délais de traitement, la lutte contre les pratiques illicites, ainsi que la création de guichets d’accueil et d’accompagnement pour orienter les migrants dans leurs démarches.

KD: In the spirit of shared responsibility, I call on all non-Mauritanian nationals settled in our country to comply with the legal residence requirements. They must regularize their status, not only for their personal safety but also to live in Mauritania with dignity and total peace of mind. However, this call for regularization must come with a strong commitment from the Mauritanian authorities.

I believe it is imperative to facilitate access to residence permits by establishing clear, accessible, transparent, and fair procedures. Obtaining these documents is currently an uphill struggle for many foreigners. Unfortunately, this complexity leads to various types of fraud, maladministration, and corruption, often at the expense of the most vulnerable. An in-depth reform of the residence permit issuance system is, therefore, necessary. It should simplify the procedures, reduce processing times, combat illegal practices, and set up reception and support offices to guide migrants through the process.

Mauritania remains a leading destination for Sub-Saharan migrants, not only as a point of departure for Europe but also as an economic hub for certain jobs. According to an investigation report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on migrant profiles in Chami, northwest Mauritania, thousands of Sub-Saharan migrants come to Mauritania in search of a better standard of living. The report states:

L’analyse sur les secteurs d’activités exercés par les migrants dans la ville de Chami ressort que l’orpaillage est le secteur prédominant, mobilisant une majorité des migrants (52%), en particulier les hommes, qui représentent environ 97 pour cent des travailleurs dans ce domaine.

An analysis of the sectors served by migrants in Chami found that gold panning is the dominant sector, employing most migrants (52 percent). Men account for around 97 percent of the workers in this field.

Under such circumstances, can Nouakchott really afford to do without its Sub-Saharan workforce?