Moktar Diallo left Mali in 2015 hoping to reach Europe through Mauritania and Spain’s Canary Islands. Ten years later, he remains trapped in Nouakchott, working long nights making bricks and evading police patrols intensified by a new EU-backed migration crackdown.
Migrants and rights groups say security operations sharply increased after Mauritania signed a border-control pact with the European Union in early 2024. Since then, Mauritanian forces have intercepted about 13,500 boats bound for the Canaries, while arrivals to the Spanish islands fell by nearly 60% in 2025, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry.
At the same time, expulsions from Mauritania almost doubled to more than 28,000 people in the first half of 2025, Human Rights Watch said, citing government data. Many migrants are reportedly deported without due process and abandoned at border areas with little money or transport.
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The crackdown follows repeated visits by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, after Mauritania became the main departure point for irregular migration to Spain in 2024.
Under the deal, the EU provided 210 million euros to Mauritania for migration management, humanitarian aid and job creation.
Diallo, who earns as little as $5 a day, says crossing to Europe now feels impossible, while returning to conflict-hit Mali is equally unthinkable. Human rights groups warn EU funding is strengthening security forces accused of abuses, a charge both Mauritanian authorities and the EU deny.
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Migration experts caution that blocking routes through Mauritania may only push desperate migrants toward longer and deadlier paths, with early signs already emerging from countries farther south like The Gambia and Guinea.
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.
