Answer given by Ms Urpilainen on behalf of the European Commission
3.5.2021
The EU has been supporting Mauritania to improve its migration management capacities, through the European Development Fund and more recently through the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa[1].
The migration support in Mauritania is mainly channelled through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) with activities including protection and assistance to migrants, voluntary return and sustainable reintegration of returnees, strengthening capacity of local authorities in migration management and governance. The EU also supports the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the registration and refugee status determination.
The EU has not provided any financing to ‘temporary holding centres for migrants’ nor supported monitoring visits to these centres, normally organised in police stations where IOM is not granted access.
- [1] https://ec.europa.eu/trustfundforafrica/index_en