Spain reaffirms its support for Mauritania in the defense and security of its borders

On Monday, October 28, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles reaffirmed Spain’s support for Mauritania in its efforts to secure and monitor its borders. During her two-day visit to Mauritania, Robles met with Defense Minister Hanena Ould Sidi at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Nouakchott. They discussed Mauritania-Spain defense relations and reviewed cooperation between the two ministries.

During the talks, Ould Sidi highlighted the deteriorating security landscape in the Sahel region, marked by growing insecurity, socio-political instability, and an economic crisis, which he said “threatens peace and security globally, regionally, and continentally.” He emphasized that the influx of refugees into Mauritania has reached critical levels due to worsening security, which is also driving an increase in illegal immigration from Mauritania toward Spain. This trend, he noted, places “significant economic, social, and security pressures” on host regions.

Ould Sidi expressed Mauritania’s commitment to strengthening its migration cooperation programs with Spain and the broader European Union, aiming for safe, orderly, and legal migration flows. Relations between Spain and Mauritania have grown considerably, with frequent visits and agreements reflecting this deepening partnership.

Spanish media report that Mauritania has recently become the main departure point for migrants attempting to reach the Canary Islands by sea, a trend that is likely to intensify with the calmer waters of late summer. Mauritania now hosts over 150,000 displaced individuals, per EU data, as migration pressures continue to grow. In Spain, migrant arrivals by land and sea rose by 66.2% from January to mid-August, totaling 31,155 compared to 18,745 over the same period last year, according to Spain’s Ministry of the Interior.