2,050 irregular migrants apprehended off the coast of Mauritania in 7 months

Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:

revealed News sources The arrest of 2,050 irregular migrants off the coast of Nouadhibou, Mauritania, during the first seven months of 2026, is a new indication of the continued pressure of irregular migration across the Atlantic coast.

Minors make up the largest percentage

The sources explained that minors constituted the largest percentage among those detained, with their number reaching about 1250 minors, representing about 61% of the total cases recorded during the aforementioned period, which reflects a remarkable increase in the rates of child migration compared to other categories.

Continued downward trend in total immigration

Despite the increase in the number of minors, data indicates a continued downward trend in the total number of irregular migrants in the region in recent years, with about 4,400 migrants recorded in 2025, including more than 400 women and 490 minors, compared to more than 8,000 migrants in 2024.

The city of Nouadhibou is one of the main departure points associated with irregular migration routes on the Mauritanian coast, where migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan African countries, seek to cross the Atlantic Ocean towards the European coasts, in perilous journeys.

In another context, Finland and Denmark announced on Friday, July 31, 2026, their support for an Italian proposal to exclude Spain from the Schengen area, due to the influx of tens of thousands of irregular migrants from Morocco to the city of Ceuta, in a remarkable development that reflects the escalating tensions within the European Union regarding the issue of irregular migration.

The stance comes after a growing wave of criticism of Madrid's policies in managing its external borders, amid European concerns about escalating security and humanitarian repercussions.

Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantan said that Spain «has completely failed to protect the external borders of the Schengen Area from infiltration,» stressing that «the continuation of this situation is unacceptable in light of the member states» obligations to protect common borders.”.

Rantan added that countries that do not fulfill their obligations to secure external borders "should not remain within the Schengen Area," calling on the rest of the European countries to support the proposal led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The move reflects a growing division within the European Union over how to deal with migration crises, at a time when pressure is mounting on southern European countries, particularly Spain and Italy, as key gateways for migrants entering the continent.