The EU announces 210 million euros in aid to help Mauritania combat irregular migration

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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The EU on Thursday announced 210 million euros to help the coastal nation of Mauritania combat irregular migration, as the number of migrants making the dangerous Atlantic crossing from West Africa to Europe rises sharply.

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for the EU and Mauritania to reinforce their cooperation on migration as she visited the capital of Nouakchott alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

“Insecurity and the lack of economic opportunity in the region are pushing many people to migrate,” Von der Leyen told journalists as she stood next to Sánchez and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani. “This causes many to fall into the traps of cynical smugglers and puts their lives in danger.”

Spain’s Canary Islands have increasingly become a stepping stone for migrants and refugees trying to reach continental Europe from West Africa. In January alone, some 7,270 migrants landed on the archipelago, about as many as in the first six months of 2023.

The Atlantic route to Europe is one of the deadliest in the world, Von der Leyen said. Indeed, it is not uncommon for entire boats to vanish in the Atlantic with a few sometimes reappearing months later on the other side of the ocean with no survivors.

The Canary Islands had already been struggling with a record number of arrivals last year with nearly 40,000 people arriving on its shores on boats mainly from Senegal. This year, departures from Mauritania, which had appeared to be under control for most of last year have surged again.

Despite the presence of both Spanish and Mauritanian patrols of the coast, the majority of this year’s migrant arrivals to the Canaries have departed from the impoverished nation.

Both Sánchez and Von der Leyen recognized the pressures faced by Mauritania, which hosts some 150,000 refugees from neighboring Mali and is increasingly becoming a destination for migrants fleeing unemployment and instability in the region. But many young Mauritanians themselves are also struggling to find jobs and increasingly leaving on boats to Europe or on planes to Central America with the hopes of reaching the United States.

Mauritania has been hailed as a key partner of the EU and Spain in the fight against people smuggling and is seen as one of the most stable countries in the volatile Sahel region. Von der Leyen also announced an additional 22 million euros for a new anti-terrorism battalion in Mauritania that will patrol the extensive border with restive Mali.

Besides announcing more funds for migration and security, the two European leaders announced a series of financing and development projects for green hydrogen production in Mauritania as part of an EU energy transition initiative.

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Follow AP’s coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration.