Mauritania dismantled nearly 150 migrant smuggling networks in 2024

Mauritania shut down nearly 150 migrant smuggling networks in 2024, with dozens more disrupted in just the first few months of the year, according to InfoMigrants, citing Spanish outlet EFE.

Interior Minister Ahmed Ould Lemine told parliament that the high number of arrests shows how deeply rooted and organized these smuggling operations are within the country. He said over 60 attempts to transport migrants from the capital, Nouakchott, and the coastal city of Nouadhibou were stopped. While he didn’t name specific destinations, irregular boat crossings to Spain’s Canary Islands have surged in recent months.

According to the Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras, more than 10,000 migrants died or went missing last year while trying to reach Spain, most aiming for the Canary Islands. Many migrants now choose the longer, more dangerous Atlantic route to avoid tighter controls in the Mediterranean.

In 2024, the European Union signed a €210 million deal with Mauritania to help curb migration. Part of the deal involves Mauritania cracking down on smuggling networks.

Recently, Mauritania has also begun expelling undocumented migrants stranded in the country, many of whom are from nearby nations like Senegal and Mali. Human rights groups have criticized these expulsions as harsh, accusing Mauritania of serving as a “policeman for the EU” by helping to stop migration toward Europe.