صحافة بلادي صحيفة إلكترونية مغاربية متجددة على مدار الساعة تعنى بشؤون المغرب الجزائر ليبيا موريتانيا تونس
NouadhibouFor months, Mauritania has witnessed an unprecedented tightening of security measures related to irregular migration, which has led to a significant decline in attempts to cross to the Spanish Canary Islands across the Atlantic Ocean, and dashed the hopes of thousands of migrants coming from West African countries to reach Europe.
Field data in the coastal city of Nouadhibou indicate that document checks, arrests linked to smuggling networks, and coastal surveillance patrols led to an almost complete cessation of rickety boat trips that were departing from the Mauritanian coast towards Europe, in the context of a broad security campaign launched by the authorities over the past year.
Testimonies of migrants in the city indicate a state of extreme caution and hiding, in light of the continuation of deportations and raids, as tens of thousands were deported during the year 2025 according to local media reports, while human rights organizations talk about violations that affected some migrants during these operations, which the authorities deny or describe as routine legal procedures.
These developments come after Mauritania signed a partnership agreement with the European Union in 2024 worth 210 million euros, aiming to strengthen border control and combat smuggling networks, in addition to supporting development projects and migrant reception centres, which observers consider part of an increasing European policy to transfer management of the migration file to transit countries.
The city of Nouadhibou is seen as one of the most prominent starting points towards Europe, where thousands of migrants resided temporarily to work and collect money before attempting to sail towards the Canary Islands, but intensified security surveillance has led to a radical change in this dynamic during the recent period.
Despite the tightening of procedures, a number of migrants are still trying to remain in the city in the hope of a new opportunity to cross, in light of the continuing poverty and the search for alternatives to regular migration, while the Mauritanian authorities confirm that their goal is to dismantle human trafficking networks and regulate migration in accordance with their international obligations.
Source: “My press”
