Migrants abused in Mauritania amid EU-backed border controls

A Human Rights Watch report released on August 27 details widespread abuses against West and Central African migrants in Mauritania between 2020 and 2025, as reported by Maghrebi Week on September 1.

Testimonies describe torture, rape, arbitrary detention, and collective expulsions by security forces. HRW says EU and Spanish funding for Mauritania’s border control enabled the violations without safeguards.

In 2024, Mauritania signed a €210 million migration deal with the EU. While recent reforms banned expulsions and introduced new migrant procedures, intensified border security and tensions with the Polisario have further complicated conditions. HRW urges accountability and prioritizing rights over enforcement.

Maghrebi Week