Spain and EU sign migration deal with Mauritania
The head of the European Commission along with the Spanish prime minister are planning a partnership with Mauritania that will benefit both sides according to The Guardian and agencies.
To curb people-smuggling to the Canary Islands and launch new energy and infrastructure projects, Ursula Von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission and Pedro Sánchez, Spanish prime minister have revealed a €210 million partnership with Mauritania.
Mauritania’s president, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani met with EU leaders on the 1st of February to “discuss security, migration and stability in the Sahel region”.
The West African country, as well as its southern neighbour, Senegal, is a significant departure point for thousands of people seeking to reach the Canary Islands. Many sources now say that the route is the “most active” for people smugglers coaxing travelers into high-risk journeys into the EU.
READ: Spain: 1,000 migrants reach Canary Islands in 3 days
Von der Leyen spoke of the many “cynical traps” that migrants and refugees may fall into. She described the Atlantic people-smuggling route as “one of the most dangerous in the world”.
In January 2024, data shows that the number of people smuggled across the 900-mile stretch of water reached record numbers, accumulating 7,270 people. The Spanish interior ministry said that this total was up 566 people from the same month in 2023.
Sánchez said he would like to strengthen existing collaboration on border control between the West African country and “explore possible pathways to enable regular migration”.
Von der Leyen pledged humanitarian aid to refugees as part of the package they hoped to sign off with Mauritania in spring 2024. She commended Ghazouani for the support his country was giving to over 150,000 refugees.
She stated that “the situation in the Sahel is very precarious and Mauritania plays a key role in ensuring stability in the region”. In addition, there would be support for training defence forces to help secure the border with Mali.
Sánchez stated that with “the fall of democratic governments, rise of terrorist attacks, a spike in refugees and internally displaced people and the worsening of an already acute food security crisis” in the area, Mauritania played “a fundamental role as the democratic reference for the stability in the Sahel, a crucial region for Spain and for Europe”.
Von der Leyen also announced investment support for a new high-voltage power line between the capital and the southeast of the country and improving the roads to the north. Mauritania hopes to develop solar, wind and hydrogen energy supplied in conjunction with the EU.
Investing in African infrastructure has long been seen as a route to influence by China and Russia, but the EU is also interested in strengthening security in West Africa. France’s influence in countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso is seen to have waned significantly.
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The path for a partnership with Mauritania was cleared last October when the EU and Ghazouani made plans for foreign inward investment to help Mauritania decarbonise in an initiative backed by the European Investment Bank.
The Guardians and agencies.
