EU's and Spanish migration policies ‘exacerbate’ rights abuses in Mauritania - HRW report

*Article updated with the European Commission's reply

Human rights abuses of asylum seekers in Mauritania have been exacerbated by the European Union and Spain, which are “continuing to outsource migration management” to the West African country, a report by Human Rights Watch published on Wednesday claimed.

The 142-page report documented violations to migrants and asylum seekers in Mauritania, including torture, rape, sexual harassment, arbitrary arrests, inhumane detention, extortion, theft, and mass expulsions, carried out mainly by Mauritania’s police, coast guard, army and navy.

“Dozens of people who had been held in Mauritania’s police-run migrant detention centres described inhumane conditions and treatment, including lack of food, poor sanitation, adolescent children at times detained with unrelated adults, and some beatings by guards,” the rights group said.

In March 2024, the EU and Spain signed a €210 million migration management agreement with Mauritania, to reduce departures from the West African coast, usually towards the Canary Islands. 

Even though arrivals via the West African route decreased by 46% between January and July 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, according to EU border agency Frontex, Mauritania remains a major transit country for Africans trying to reach Europe.

But the investment by the EU and Spain to halt arrivals at the EU coasts is having a negative impact on the human rights of asylum seekers and migrants, Human Rights Watch claimed.

“The report also highlights the negative impacts of Mauritania’s interceptions and forced returns of migrant boats, supported by the EU and Spain, while search-and-rescue in the Atlantic remains insufficient, contributing to ongoing deaths,” the rights group alleged.

Euronews has approached the European Commission, the Spanish and Mauritanian government for comment. 

Mauritania authorities did not respond at the time of publication, however, the Spanish ministry of interior told Euronews it “fully respects the work of Human Rights Watch, but it will not make any comment about the content of its report”.

A European Commission spokesperson told Euronews that they are in "constant dialogue" with Mauritania.

"We have seen the report. The Commission takes reports and allegations of mistreatment seriously. Safeguarding protection for those in need and ensuring respect for the human rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are fundamental principles of our work. They need to be respected in all Commission’s initiatives, including in EU-funded projects related to migration. We engage in a constant dialogue with Mauritania to build a partnership that is comprehensive, balanced, mutually beneficial and respectful of human rights," a spokesperson informed.

“For years, Mauritanian authorities followed an abusive migration control playbook – sadly common across North Africa – by violating the rights of African migrants from other regions,” said Lauren Seibert, refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. 

However, the rights group acknowledged that a recent reform approved by the Mauritanian government represents a step in the right direction. 

“Mauritania’s recent reforms show that a new approach is possible. The government should build on these efforts, scale up monitoring of security forces, and halt collective expulsions,” the expert said.