Mauritania - October 2025

On 17 October, Mauritania inaugurated two migrant reception centres built and financed by Spain, with additional funding from the European Union Emergency Trust Fund. With a combined capacity of around 200 people, the centres will primarily host migrants intercepted in Mauritanian waters en route to the Canary Islands. The project forms part of Spain’s efforts to outsource migration management to Mauritania. Spanish authorities say the centres will accommodate migrants for up to 72 hours, after which Mauritanian authorities will process any asylum requests. Opposition and rights groups have condemned the move, citing Mauritania’s record of migrant abuses and warning that the centres could effectively function as detention facilities, weakening Spain’s oversight and accountability. In a statement issued before the inauguration, Mauritania rejected allegations of torture or systemic rights violations and pointed to recent reforms, including a ban on collective expulsions and new migrant protection procedures adopted in May 2025.

Sources: El Salto Diario, El Diario, Europa Press, Global Detention Project, Human Rights Watch, Foundation for the Internationalisation of Public Administration, OK Diario, The Commissariat for Human Rights – Mauritania, The Government of Mauritania