Mauritania rejects EU deportation centres despite ongoing EU funding

(MAURITANIA) Mauritania will not host any European deportation centres, a senior government advisor confirmed in 2025, pushing back on months of speculation over the country’s role in the European Union’s border strategy. The statement comes despite a growing migration partnership with Brussels and new EU funding to strengthen Mauritania’s border control and reception capacity. Officials say current and planned facilities in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou remain under Mauritanian authority and will not receive migrants returned from Europe.

Government stance and EU funding details

Mauritanian authorities have publicly and repeatedly rejected the idea of EU-run deportation or “external processing” centres on their soil. The government’s position, restated this year, is clear: no European deportation centres in Mauritania.

This stance sits alongside a larger cooperation package with the EU that includes:

• €100 million in 2024
• €210 million in 2025

These funds are intended to support border management, sea rescue capacity, and reception standards.

Officials emphasize that assistance from the EU and Spain supports national operations, not foreign-run detention or return schemes. As of October 2025, there is no evidence of EU-controlled deportation centres being established or planned in Mauritania. Analysis by VisaVerge.com indicates current cooperation focuses on equipment, training, and operational support provided to Mauritanian agencies, while policy control remains with the Mauritanian state.

The broader EU context is relevant: European governments continue seeking ways to reduce irregular sea crossings to the Canary Islands and mainland Europe, and partnerships with origin and transit countries are central to this strategy. The European Commission describes such arrangements as tools to support border management, search and rescue, and legal pathways while countering smuggling networks. For background, see the European Commission’s policy page: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum_en.

Facilities under national control, not EU deportation sites

Mauritania has expanded its own immigration detention infrastructure in recent years. As of July 2025, several police-run centres in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou are used for administrative detention of migrants.

Two additional facilities — Centers for the Temporary Reception of Foreigners (CATEs) — are scheduled to open in September 2025, funded with EU support. Authorities say these centres will:

• receive people intercepted at sea or rescued in Mauritanian waters
• provide basic screening and care
• allow short-term stays tied to national procedures

Officials underlined that these CATEs are not designed or authorized as sites for returns from Europe. Management will be joint but nationally-led:

• Police: oversee security and administration
• Mauritanian Red Crescent: coordinate humanitarian services
• National human rights bodies: monitor conditions

The stated aim is to improve humane treatment and record-keeping for those taken ashore, not to process migrants deported from Europe under EU authority.

On the ground, EU and Spanish support — from boats and vehicles to training and communications systems — strengthens Mauritania’s coast guard and police capacity. Yet decisions on detention, release, or removal remain Mauritania’s responsibility. The government advisor’s 2025 remarks were intended to dispel claims that Mauritania had agreed to host external processing platforms linked to European deportation pipelines.

Human rights concerns and implications for migrants

Human rights groups and UN experts continue to raise concerns about Mauritania’s migration controls, including reports of arbitrary detention and collective expulsions. These criticisms target national practices and underscore risks migrants face during stops, checks, and removal processes within Mauritania.

Advocacy groups call for:

• stronger legal safeguards
• better access to lawyers and interpreters
• independent monitoring inside facilities

The government says Red Crescent involvement and human rights oversight bodies will be present in reception sites to improve conditions and transparency.

For migrants attempting the Canary Islands route, the practical effects are clear:

• Those intercepted at sea may be taken to police centres or, once operational, to a CATE for short-term reception.
• They will not be processed under an EU deportation system in Mauritania; their cases will follow national procedures.
• National procedures can include documentation checks, administrative detention, and—in some cases—removal from Mauritanian territory by Mauritanian authorities.
• Families, unaccompanied minors, and people needing medical care may receive different handling, but those decisions remain national.

The migration partnership also means more patrols at sea and on land. That can produce faster rescues but also more frequent interceptions. Communities in Nouadhibou and Nouakchott report increased police presence around known departure points. Local civil society groups are requesting:

• clearer rules on detention time limits
• guaranteed access to basic services
• effective complaint mechanisms

These requests are particularly urgent as the CATEs begin operations.

For European policymakers, Mauritania’s refusal to host European deportation centres highlights the limits of externalization. Cooperation can expand capacity and coordination, but it does not transfer legal control. EU funding and technical support must operate within the partner country’s legal framework. Mauritania’s public message is consistent: assistance is welcome; sovereignty is non-negotiable.

Key points officials and aid groups are watching

• Purpose and scope: Short-term reception for people intercepted or rescued at sea, not a gateway for transfers or returns from Europe.
• Management model: National control with police administration, Mauritanian Red Crescent services, and human rights monitoring bodies.
• Duration of stay: Short stays tied to national procedures; calls persist for clear time limits and humane standards.
• Oversight: Regular access for independent monitors to prevent abuse and ensure basic care.

Funding, local impact, and Spain’s role

The EU funding schedule—€100 million in 2024 and €210 million in 2025—will shape how resources are allocated to training, equipment, and humanitarian services. Local communities often feel the first impacts, from port operations to health clinics, so transparency on spending will be important.

Spain’s role is practical and operational given the Canary Islands corridor and joint patrol history. Spanish support for Mauritanian patrols, information sharing, and rescue coordination is long-standing. Still, Madrid — like Brussels — must work within Mauritania’s legal guardrails. The repeated government assurance of no European deportation centres sets a boundary for future projects.

What this means on the ground

For people on the move, the situation is mixed:

• There may be more patrols and more interceptions, increasing the chance of detention.
• At the same time, improved rescue capacity and potentially better reception conditions could reduce immediate risks at sea.
• The absence of EU-run deportation centres in Mauritania means returns from Europe will not be routed to Mauritanian facilities as part of an EU scheme.
• Risks of detention or removal under Mauritanian law remain.

VisaVerge.com reports continued pressure along the West African coast as smugglers adapt. That makes independent monitoring, clear rules, and humane treatment inside Mauritania essential. Whether the new CATEs meet promised standards will be a key test of the migration partnership’s real-world impact.