Migration falls 52% from Mauritania, 77% from Senegal, and 55% from Morocco

In the North‑African country there are about 300,000 Malians who want to migrate, and the EU’s goal is to “contain” the departures.

The arrival of migrants from the Mauritanian coast to the Canary Islands fell 52 % compared with 2024: between January and September 8,178 arrivals were recorded, versus 16,976 in the same period last year, according to the regional government.

The decline is also evident for departures from Senegal (‑77 %) and Morocco (‑55 %).

These figures were analysed by the European Union (EU) representatives in Mauritania, who are confident that migrations will continue to fall if the commitments made are honoured.

In a meeting in Nouakchott with the vice‑counsellors of the President’s Cabinet, Octavio Caraballo, and of Social Welfare, Francis Candil, the European delegation highlighted that over the past year the Mauritanian executive has become especially involved in “ending the country’s role as an irregular immigration highway to the Canaries,” a note from the Canary Islands government reported.

The meeting between Canary Islands officials and the EU delegation in Nouakchott confirmed the effort being made – with Spain’s participation – to help stabilise one of the countries most affected by migratory flows, armed conflict and political instability in the Sahel.

Mauritania is a priority country for the European Union because it is the most stable area on the frontier with nations hit hardest by military coups and the presence of Russian and jihadist groups in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.

Given this context, the European Commission is cooperating with Mauritania on security matters to “contain” the more than 300,000 Malians on its territory, many of whom aim to continue their migration route to Europe via the Canaries.

Brussels operates two transit centres in Mauritania – one in Nouakchott and another in Nouadhibou – which will be handed over to local authorities in October under a bilateral cooperation agreement that includes a series of conditions and commitments “that must be fulfilled to guarantee their continuity.”

Another key pillar of the EU‑Mauritania partnership is containing land‑based departures, since rescues and detections at sea are complex and dangerous.

This policy, combined with the dismantling of people‑smuggling mafias, has pushed the migration route further south, especially toward Gambia and Senegal, and even to Guinea‑Conakry, which lies about 2,000 km from the Canaries.

The “Tierra Firme” Example

One of the topics to be discussed in the upcoming high‑level meeting between the President of Mauritania and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will be the bilateral agreements currently in force.

In the migration field, those agreements are already bearing fruit, as reflected in the 2025 departure figures from Mauritania.

Data indicate that 5 %–10 % of the people residing in Mauritania are refugees, out of a total population of more than five million.

In this regard, the EU representation in Mauritania stressed that, following the collaboration agreements signed a year and a half ago, capacity to combat boat departures has been increased, and a human‑trafficking office has been created.

“If the conditions are maintained and the commitments fulfilled, the prospects we are considering are very positive” regarding departures to the Canaries, the Canary Islands government delegation reported.

The EU delegation also expressed its support for the collaborative work being carried out by the regional government in Mauritania.

EU representatives noted that, beyond migration, Brussels’ current priorities in West Africa are health and education, pursued through joint projects with allied countries and regions, and they praised the Canary Islands government’s efforts.

In particular, they highlighted the vocational training programme “Tierra Firme” launched by the Canary Islands government. This pioneering initiative has already equipped more than 500 young people from Senegal, Mauritania and Gambia with practical skills for employment in high‑demand sectors such as construction, agriculture, tourism and textiles.