According to several civil society organisations, Mauritania has recently carried out the expulsion of foreign nationals present on its territory. As a transit country for migrants travelling to North Africa and Europe, Mauritania is facing increasing criticism regarding its approach to migration management.

According to the Central African news website CNC, it is believed that more than 1,000 refugees, including seven Central African nationals, have been expelled from Mauritania to Mali and Senegal. The outlet warns of a deteriorating situation for refugees and asylum seekers in Mauritania, recalling that the 1951 Geneva Convention prohibits the return of individuals to a State where their life or freedom would be at risk – Mauritania is a signatory to this convention.

Makaila N’guebla, a journalist, human rights defender, anti-globalisation activist and former human rights adviser (2021–2024) to the Chadian president, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno , who is now a political refugee in France, denounces these habitual practices, which contradict international commitments to protecting refugees and migrants’ rights. “The Mauritanian authorities are accustomed to expelling migrants and refugees,” he laments.

In the first half of 2025, more than 28,000 people were expelled to the borders of Mali and Senegal, often without any legal process. This exposed refugees and asylum seekers to serious security risks. According to Human Rights Watch, these collective expulsions are prohibited under international law, including cases involving individuals with legal status, and these practices escalated in early 2025 under pressure from Europe.

Regional context and criticism

Mali Actu, citing a Malian government source, reports that at least 528 Malian nationals were returned to Gogui, a border town. In August 2025, Human Rights Watch documented mass expulsions carried out without due process towards the Malian and Senegalese borders over several years. In December 2025, the UN Committee on Migrant Workers reported the confiscation of personal property during these operations.

Makaila N’Guebla criticises the lack of justification for these forced expulsions of migrants fleeing poverty, war, armed conflict or climate-related disasters. He claims that these practices expose a profound malaise that undermines African integration and the free movement of people and goods, and that they cast doubt on the effectiveness of the African Union’s Migration Policy Framework.