Security forces in the North African country of Mauritania have committed serious human rights violations against largely West and Central African migrants and asylum seekers, often when they were seeking to leave or transit the country.
A new HRW report documents abuses by authorities during border and migration control including torture, rape, and other violence; sexual harassment; arbitrary arrests and detention; inhumane detention conditions; racist treatment; extortion and theft; and summary and collective expulsions.
>> Read the new report on years of abuse
The crackdowns and rights violations have been exacerbated by the European Union and Spain, who continue to outsource migration management to Mauritania.
Increasing numbers of migrants and asylum seekers have attempted the “Atlantic Route” by boat from northwest Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands, with many departing from Mauritania. Some have fled conflict or persecution in their countries – including many from Mali, where armed conflict has worsened alongside government repression – while others aimed to escape poverty and find work.
Between 2020 and mid-2025, Mauritanian police expelled tens of thousands of African foreigners of multiple nationalities – generally without formal legal procedures or an opportunity to challenge their expulsion – to remote locations along the borders with Mali and Senegal.
Meanwhile, Mauritania’s interceptions and forced returns of migrant boats, supported by the EU and Spain, and while search-and-rescue in the Atlantic remains insufficient, contributes to ongoing deaths.
However, recent steps and commitments by the Mauritanian government may improve protection for migrants’ rights. These should continue.
