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

Hundreds of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa are being detained and deported from Mauritania. Some members of civil society in Mauritania believe this is the result of an agreement between Nouakchott and the European Union.

At the start of 2017, the European Union (EU) expressed its intention to block the migrants’ route, particularly for those coming from sub-Saharan Africa. In 2024, the EU estimated that 239,000 unauthorized migrants attempted to cross the region’s border — 38 percent fewer than in 2023.

Since then, Brussels has refined its migration policy by collaborating with transit countries used by these migrants — Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and more recently Mauritania, whose coast is used as a departure point.

In February 2024, Mauritania signed a migration partnership agreement with the EU, accompanied by a financial package worth EUR 210 million. The aim was to create a fund to combat migrant smuggling and manage irregular migration from the country.

Mauritania fulfilled its commitments. In February 2024, a large number of migrants were expelled from the country. According to Mohamed Ahmed Ould Mohamed Lemine, Mauritania’s Home Secretary, and Info Migrants, 10,753 migrants were expelled, 14 percent more than in 2023.

Since late February 2025, sub-Saharan migrants in Mauritania have faced a new wave of mass expulsions, with the country’s authorities citing their illegal status. But does this imply that Mauritania has become Europe’s policeman? To explore this question, Global Voices interviewed Khally Diallo, a Mauritanian member of Parliament, via WhatsApp.

Jean Sovon (JS): What is the rationale behind the expulsion of sub-Saharan migrants from 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 has recently benefited from major financial support — some EUR 210 million — from the European Union and Spain as part of efforts to combat illegal migration. This partnership can be understood as part of a wider strategy to curb migration flows from West Africa, since Mauritania has, over recent years, become a major crossing point for many migrants heading for Europe.

By signing this agreement, Mauritania agreed to step up its efforts to control migration. However, there are some obvious limitations to the enforcement of this policy. In practice, measures implemented on the ground often result in waves of arrests and deportations. These are often carried out in a targeted manner, raising questions about respect for human rights and the long-term effectiveness of this approach.

JS: What nationalities do these operations target? Isn’t such a policy likely to spark tensions between Mauritania and its neighbours?

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 ground operations do not explicitly target any specific nationalities. However, the repressive practices observed, though justified by the government as national security imperatives, reveal an occasionally uneven approach to managing migratory flows. They also appear out of step with the requirements of a broader policy approach that would be more humane, more sustainable, and grounded in an understanding of the deep-rooted causes of migration and an unconditional respect for the dignity of the individuals concerned.

These operations must be undertaken with great care and the utmost respect for human rights to avoid any confusion or excessively harsh treatment that could damage Mauritania’s image on the international stage, especially for the countries of origin of the migrants. Such perceptions could undermine previous efforts and provoke unnecessary diplomatic tensions.

In the migrants’ countries of origin, these deportations are difficult to accept. In Mali, the circumstances surrounding them have heightened tensions among the authorities. In Senegal, Guy Marius Sagna, a member of parliament, has taken up the issue and demanded a parliamentary enquiry.

Screenshot of the post by Member of Parliament Guy Marius Sagna on Facebook.

Translation of the text in the screenshot:

I have received a great deal of information from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. I hear about human rights violations and xenophobic campaigns targeting citizens from Senegal, Mali and other African countries. For some time now, I have been receiving reports of inhuman detentions and deportations.

Mauritania is a sovereign state and has the right to set its own rules, which Senegalese nationals who decide to go there must respect.

I intend to propose to Senegal’s Parliament the creation of a fact-finding mission to Mauritania so we may better understand the situation of our Senegalese nationals, ECOWAS‘s citizens, African nationals and migrants in general.

I will also question the government about the current situation of our Senegalese citizens in Mauritania.

JS: What do human rights organizations make 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, many civil society members and I, as an elected representative of the people, have reacted strongly to this situation. We firmly denounce the excesses observed during the control operations, especially the arbitrary arrests and detention conditions, as well as the deportations carried out without due legal process.

We call on the authorities to show greater restraint and discernment because the fight against illegal immigration does not justify violating fundamental rights. Mobilization intensified after several testimonials emerged on social media, revealing cases of police misconduct and blatant acts of abuse, sparking a wave of outrage.

There have also been worrying allegations of illegal practices, with some migrants reportedly forced to pay money to avoid being deported or to obtain an insecure immigration status. Should such abuses be confirmed, they would constitute an unacceptable exploitation of vulnerable individuals and undermine efforts to promote transparency and sound governance.

JS: Are there any solutions to resolve this issue?

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 a spirit of shared responsibility, I call on foreign citizens in Mauritania to comply with legal requirements regarding residency. They must regularize their status to ensure their personal safety but also to live with dignity and peace of mind in Mauritania. At the same time, this call for regularization must be matched by a genuine commitment from the Mauritanian authorities.

I think that access to residency permits must be improved through the establishment of well-defined, accessible, transparent and fair procedures. At present, it is evident that many foreigners face a real uphill battle to obtain these permits. Unfortunately, this complexity creates opportunities for various forms of fraud, administrative abuses and corruption at the expense of the most vulnerable. Therefore, the system for issuing residency permits must be thoroughly overhauled: to simplify the administrative processes, reduce processing time, fight illegal practices and establish welcome and assistance centers to support migrants through the process.

Mauritania is a preferred destination for many sub-Saharan migrants, not only as a departure point for Europe but also as an economic hub for some types of employment. A study by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on the profile of migrants in Chami, a town in northwestern Mauritania, identifies the search for better living conditions as the primary reason behind the presence of thousands of sub-Saharan migrants. The report indicates that:

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 economic sectors employing migrants in the town of Chami reveals that artisanal gold mining is the most important, employing the most migrants (52 percent), particularly men who represent 97 percent of the workers in this sector.

Bearing this in mind, can Nouakchott afford to dispense with the sub-Saharan workforce?