From the signing ceremony of the joint declaration between Mauritania and the Europeans on irregular migration (French)

While about 17 million people are preparing to leave the Sahel and Sahara and engage in irregular migration, the European Union countries and Mauritania recently signed a joint declaration on hosting refugees, ensuring their protection, and enabling them to access services.

With the leakage of initial news about the agreement, many fears arose about turning Mauritania into an alternative homeland for Africans pursued by European governments at sea.

Initially, the Mauritanian government was a little late in commenting on the leaks, then it strongly denied its intention to turn the country into a refugee camp, and advised the public not to deal with the rumours.

On the seventh of this March, what had been kept secret came to light. The two parties signed a joint declaration in Nouakchott on preventing irregular migration, hosting refugees, taking care of them, and working to protect them.

The eighth paragraph of the joint declaration between the two parties states that they recognize “the specificity of Mauritania as a transit country, which is gradually moving to a final destination for migrant flows.”

The declaration praises “the laudable efforts made by Mauritania to control migration routes, including sea routes, to manage illegal migration and combat cross-border human trafficking networks and smugglers, as well as its continuing efforts to receive, protect and care for refugees from the sub-region.”

The declaration also stipulates “strengthening the capabilities to identify, register and document asylum seekers in Mauritania, while ensuring respect for the international protection framework, and strengthening the capabilities to host and care for asylum seekers and refugees while respecting human rights, with special attention given to the most vulnerable... in addition to enhancing access to social services.” and economic development for refugees, asylum seekers and host communities.

European interests

The agreement with the Europeans raised many concerns within Mauritania, and was widely criticized by citizens, political parties, civil society organizations, and activists on social media sites.

Because of the Ukraine war and the many problems on the African continent and the Middle East, the European Union countries are suffering from high immigration rates, and are seeking to reduce refugees towards them, especially from the West African region.

In recent years, the European Union has searched for partnerships with countries that are considered a transit zone towards its countries, so it concluded an agreement with Tunisia in July 2023 with the aim of working to combat migration through the Mediterranean.

In exchange for the immigration deal, Tunisia received approximately 250 million euros ($272 million) as immediate support to support measures to limit infiltration into Europe.

In addition to the economic and social burdens posed by immigrants, the European Union believes that the problem of immigration is one of the factors contributing to its disintegration, because the immigration file was one of the main reasons that prompted Britain to leave the Union.

Many Europeans believe that immigrants pose a threat to the cultural and social homogeneity of their countries, which share common identities.

In a study by the Al Jazeera Center for Studies, 57% of European opinion poll respondents believe that immigration represents a threat to European culture.

The study indicated that illegal immigrants negatively affect the economy, due to the consumption of the financial resources of the host countries.

Ambiguous agreement

The Mauritanian government is linked with Spain to the so-called “Madrid Agreement” signed on July 3, 2003 regarding the interception of migrants from the shores of the economic capital, Nouadhibou, towards the Canary Islands, which are 600 nautical miles away from Mauritanian waters.

Under the 2003 treaty, Mauritania is obligated to intercept migrants to Europe and deal with them, while Spain provides aid to Nouakchott, such as financing economic projects and providing grants and loans. The treaty between the two countries was renewed in 2019.

Since 2006, there have been two military formations in Mauritania from the Spanish Security Forces, one from the Civil Guard, and the other from the Spanish National Police, and they monitor the maritime area between the city of Nouadhibou and the Canary Islands.

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) also intervenes to help the Spaniards confront migrants from West Africa through Mauritanian waters.

In conjunction with the security tensions in the Sahel and Sahara region, the number of immigrants towards Europe increased, so Spain took advantage of its good relations with Nouakchott to work with it in combating illegal immigration.

In February 2024, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, accompanied by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, visited the capital, Nouakchott, to deepen consultation on common issues.

The European delegation's visit culminated in the signing of two agreements, one related to cooperation between the Mauritanian government and the Kingdom of Spain, and the second related to Mauritania and the European Union, and revolves around immigration and ways to combat it, hosting immigrants, and how to care for them and integrate them into economic and social life.

In conjunction with the two agreements, the European Union announced the provision of 200 million euros (about 217 million dollars) in annual aid and support to the Mauritanian state.

On March 7, a joint declaration was officially signed between Mauritania and the European Union stipulating the development of a plan for joint action towards security challenges and confronting migrants.

Danger to Mauritania

The signing of the joint declaration comes at a time when the government in Nouakchott is suffering from the influx of refugees from the Sahel and Sahara region, as the World Food Program expects the arrival of 100,000 new refugees from Mali at the beginning of 2024.

This means that the number of migrants who were counted and expected to arrive has reached a quarter of a million people, because the Mauritanian government stated at the Global Refugee Forum held in Geneva in December 2023 that it is hosting 150 refugees, most of whom are from the country of Mali.

At the same conference, Mauritanian Minister of Economy Abdel Salam Ould Mohamed Saleh said that his government is working to mobilize financial resources and support from partners to provide the basic conditions for integration requirements, and also intends to provide education as the first tool for consolidating a culture of peace and tolerance.

While the government is looking for opportunities to integrate refugees, in Mauritania there are 56.9% of the population of about 5 million living in a state of multidimensional poverty in terms of lack of education, health, living conditions, and lack of employment opportunities.

During the migration summit held in Rome in mid-2023, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Sheikh Ghazouani said that Mauritania is an arrival area for migrants, just as it is a transit area towards European Union countries, stressing that his country hosts 100,000 refugees from Mali alone.

Poverty rates

In conjunction with Mauritania signing an action map with the Europeans regarding migrants, the World Food Program warned of the danger of pressure on the local population in Mauritania, who suffer from scarcity of resources and high rates of poverty, as it believes that harassing them may cause chaos and tension.

At the beginning of this March, the Mauritanian state of Hodh El Sharqi witnessed confrontations and unrest between local residents and Azawadi refugees, and it was not controlled until the intervention of a battalion of the Mauritanian army.

A number of observers believe that Mauritania differs from the Maghreb countries that signed previous understandings with the Europeans regarding hosting immigrants on its lands, because the Mauritanian population does not exceed 5 million people, including races with extensions and roots in the countries of the West African region, and every settlement of immigrants may facilitate the imbalance. Demographics of the population.

Demonstrations and accusations

In conjunction with the signing of the aforementioned agreement, demonstrations took place in the capital, Nouakchott, and some other cities, denouncing what they described as high treason to the homeland and seeking to please the Europeans.

Before signing the agreement, the opposition political parties issued a statement warning the government against signing the treaty, considering that it constitutes a threat to national security.

The opposition said that the agreement with the European Union on illegal immigrants would change the balance of the country's demographic composition, and would also threaten the coexistence and harmony of the religious, moral and cultural values ​​of the Mauritanian people.

On March 11, the National Rally for Reform and Development (the largest opposition party) issued a statement in which it called on all living forces to stand united in the face of this agreement.

In statements to the international press, Parliamentarian Mohamed Lamine Ould Sidi Mouloud said that neighboring countries that have a stronger security and economic structure than Mauritania have refrained from being a party to this type of agreement.

For its part, the Mauritanian government said through a statement by the Ministry of the Interior that the aforementioned agreement does not affect public interests, and does not pose a threat to the nation.

In the weekly press conference organized by the government following the Council of Ministers meeting, the minister, the official spokesman for the government, said that Mauritania will not be an alternative homeland for immigrants or a place of settlement for any illegal immigrant.

Signs of a political crisis

However, many writers and researchers specializing in immigration and refugee affairs believe that the statements of government officials in Mauritania are far from reality. The researcher specializing in African affairs, Sultan Alban, considered that the government misled the people with the idea that Mauritania would receive immigrants without settling them.

Sultan Al-Ban said on Facebook that the host country receives money from the European Union in exchange for accommodation and reception, then processing files, including integration and entry into public life.

The immigrant problem coincided with the approaching presidential elections that will be held next June, and the opposition parties began using the immigrant card against the existing political system, considering it a betrayal and a crime against the nation that requires accountability.

The government is suffering from multiple political and economic crises, most notably the lack of trust between political parties, due to the recent legislative and municipal elections, which were marred by widespread fraud, according to the opposition.

Source: Al Jazeera