Spain and Mauritania want to combat illegal immigration

1. Circular migration

Spain and Mauritania agreed on Wednesday to cooperate in the fight against illegal immigrationduring a trip by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez through three African countries to curb the number of irregular immigrants on their coasts.

In a joint declaration, the two governments committed themselves to “work together to promote safe, orderly and regular migration” and to ensure “fair and humane treatment of migrants”.

The socialist leader, who was received by President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani in Nouakchott on Tuesday, called for decisive action against people smuggling networks and humane treatment of migrants.

“Immigration is not a problem, but a necessity that brings with it certain problems,” he said. “We must fight against the mafia that traffics people and plays with human lives” and that “exploits the terrible conditions and desperation of those who resort to irregular migration,” he added.

Sánchez is under domestic political pressure due to the migration crisis, and the number of migrants entering his country has risen sharply. He will visit Gambia on Wednesday and Senegal on Thursday.

The three countries on the continent's Atlantic coast are the starting point for thousands of Africans trying to reach Europe. In search of a better future, they cross the sea, mainly through the Spanish archipelago of the Canary Islands. Thousands of people have died in recent years on this crossing.

Circular migration

In the joint statement, the two governments stress the need to combat racism and xenophobia.

They also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on circular migration.: Spain will inform Mauritania of its labour needs and Mauritania will select candidates in a ‘pilot project’ that will initially last one year and will pay special attention to young people and women.

Applicants are interviewed and, if necessary, screened, asked to apply for a visa, sign a contract and commit to returning to their home country at the end of the contract.

Spain has already applied this formula “successfully” with other countries, said Sánchez, announcing that Spain will provide half a million euros for a training initiative in Mauritania.

According to a source from the Spanish presidential office, Mauritania is currently hosting around 200,000 refugees who are victims of instability in the Sahel region, including many Malians who could emigrate to the Canary Islands.

The total amount of agreements to be signed with these countries – especially Mauritania, where Sánchez had already travelled in February – to help them and encourage them to intensify their efforts to prevent this illegal migration is unknown.

Between January 1 and August 15 this year, 22,304 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands, compared to 9,864 in the same period in 2023, an increase of 126%.