EU Allocates €200 Mln to Mauritania

The Spanish newspaper "El País" has reported that the European Union will allocate about €200 million to assist Mauritania in preventing the flow of irregular migrants.

According to the newspaper, the intensive influx of boats from Mauritania to the Canary Islands over the past three months has raised concerns for Spanish authorities.

They are urging the European Union to initiate additional funding for Mauritania to address the refugee crisis.

The article notes that out of over 6,000 people who arrived in the Canary Islands in January of this year, 83% departed from Mauritania.

Spain supports the Mauritanian Coast Guard with annual grants, with the latest amounting to €10 million.

It's worth mentioning that the EU allocated €12.5 million for the period from 2022 to 2027 to combat illegal migration in Mauritania.

This week, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will visit Mauritania along with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to explore further investment opportunities in the country's infrastructure, enhance security, combat terrorism, and address illegal immigration, as reported by the newspaper.