Migrant arrivals from Mauritania to the Canaries have fallen by 52% in 2025
The number of migrants arriving in the Canary Islands by small boat from Mauritania has fallen by 52% during the first nine months of 2025, according to new figures released by the Canarian Government.
Between January and September 2025, a total of 8,178 migrants reached the archipelago from Mauritania, compared to 16,976 during the same period last year.
The data was shared yesterday, Wednesday, as Canarian representatives met with a European Union delegation in Nouakchott, the Mauritanian capital.
The regional government also highlighted significant decreases in arrivals from Senegal (down 77%) and Morocco (down 55%), crediting these reductions to increased cooperation between Spain, the EU, and Mauritania.
The Canarian Government described Mauritania as the most stable country in the Sahel region, playing a key role in managing migration flows amid political turmoil and the presence of armed groups in neighbouring Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
The European Commission continues to support Mauritania’s border security efforts to “contain” the estimated 300,000 Malian refugees currently in the country, many of whom hope to continue their journey towards Europe via the Canary Islands.
Brussels operates two transit centres in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, which will be handed over to the Mauritanian authorities later this month under a cooperation agreement that sets out conditions to ensure the programme’s continuity.
EU–Mauritania collaboration focuses on preventing departures from land, as sea rescues and detection in open waters remain complex and dangerous.
This policy, combined with the dismantling of human trafficking networks, has shifted migrant routes further south, particularly to Gambia, Senegal, and Guinea-Conakry, more than 2,000 kilometres from the Canary Islands.
The meeting also recognised the success of the Tierra Firme project, a Canarian-led initiative providing vocational training in countries of origin. Over 500 young people from Senegal, Mauritania, and Gambia have already completed practical courses in construction, agriculture, tourism, and textiles, helping them find work locally and reduce the need to migrate.
Share:
