Migrants deported from Mauritania accuse police of torture, abuse: Video
Hundreds of migrants deported from Mauritania in recent weeks have spoken out about their harrowing experiences of police brutality and inhumane treatment before being forcibly deported.
The campaign, targeting migrants from West African nations such as Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, and Guinea, has sparked outrage across the region.
In Rosso, a Senegalese city bordering Mauritania, deported migrants have shared chilling testimonies of abuse at the hands of Mauritanian authorities. Many describe beatings, arbitrary detentions, and dire conditions in overcrowded detention facilities.
“They beat us up, they took us to prison without telling us anything. After that, they threw us all out at the border," Ismaila Bangoura, a Guinean carpenter who had been working in Mauritania, told the AFP.
Ramatoulaye Camara, another Guinean citizen, described the grim realities of imprisonment in Mauritania. “Currently in Mauritania, it’s not good. We suffered a lot. I was in prison for 10 days, with no food, no help. I am pregnant, and I was there with my daughter. The police tortured the boys, they even tortured me. They took my money, my phone—everything. We endured a lot of suffering,” she said.
Adding that “More than 500-600 people were locked in a cage, with no food and unbearable heat. The Mauritanian police hit me. I don’t even know why—whether it was because of the papers, the residence permit, or something else. They just said, ‘You are leaving our country.’”
Bangoura further lamented that several deportees were left in dire health conditions, suffering from injuries inflicted during their detention. “It’s really deplorable,” said Bangoura. “They beat me up, and I have gastritis. They hit me in the chest, and now I can barely breathe. I can’t even run. I called my sister to send me money just so I could buy some medicine.”
Local humanitarian organizations in Rosso are struggling to assist the growing number of traumatized deportees. Mbaye Diop, President of the local Red Cross committee, confirmed that many of those arriving show visible signs of abuse. “Sometimes we receive people who have been expelled, and you can see the after-effects of physical violence on their bodies. Some even lose their minds upon arrival. We do our best to assist them, but the situation is overwhelming,” said Diop.
Meanwhile, Mauritanian authorities are yet to respond to the allegations.
