Mauritania’s mass deportations leave migrants stranded in Senegal

Mauritania has expelled hundreds of West African migrants in recent weeks, drawing condemnation from NGOs and regional governments. Many deportees, including women and children, report being beaten, detained without explanation, and stripped of belongings before being dumped at the border with Senegal, AFP reports. 

Authorities claim the removals are routine enforcement against undocumented migrants, but rights groups call the deportations inhumane. Expelled migrants—mainly from Guinea, Senegal, Mali, and Ivory Coast—are stranded in Rosso, a northern Senegalese town, with little access to food, shelter, or medical care. 

Mauritania has become a key departure point for African migrants attempting to reach Europe by sea. However, many of those deported insist they had no plans to make the perilous journey. Some, like Guinean carpenter Idrissa Camara, vow to return to Mauritania to continue working, despite the risk of repeated expulsion.