Should I stay or should I go: Mauritania’s migrant school offers hope

In Nouadhibou, a Mauritanian port city and key migrant departure point, a school for refugee and migrant children seeks to provide education and integration, the Associated Press reports. Established in 2018, it aligns with a €210 million EU-Mauritania migration deal funding border security and aid programs to deter migration.

Despite these efforts, many migrants remain undeterred. In 2023, nearly 47,000 migrants—6,800 of whom died or went missing—attempted the dangerous Atlantic crossing to Spain’s Canary Islands. Aid groups say migrants lack work opportunities, face discrimination, and struggle with bureaucratic hurdles in Mauritania.

While families praise the school, many see it as a temporary solution. "We can’t stop migration," said Amsatou Vepouyoum, who runs the school, emphasizing that raising awareness is key. Critics argue that European aid often lacks transparency and fails to address the root causes driving migration. Meanwhile, migrants in Nouadhibou remain trapped between limited prospects and the lure of Europe.