Mauritanian Interior Minister, Mohamed Ahmed Ould Mohamed Amin, and his Senegalese counterpart, General Jean Baptiste, called for the establishment of an agreement between the two countries on irregular migration during a meeting held today, Monday, in Nouakchott.
The Mauritanian minister outlined the framework for drawing up this vital agreement between the two countries, “in light of the agreements on irregular migration linking Mauritania and Senegal with the European Union and Spain.”
The two countries have signed extensive agreements on irregular migration with the European Union, particularly with Spain, following an unprecedented rise in the number of irregular migrants leaving both countries towards Europe via the Spanish shores.
The minister also pointed out the “importance of reviewing the agreements signed between the two countries concerning the facilitation of movement and residence of citizens from both neighboring countries,” where travel between them does not require a visa.
In August of the previous year, the Senegalese authorities set a maximum duration of 90 days for vehicles coming from Mauritania and the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to remain on their territory.
At the conclusion of the press briefing that followed the meeting, the minister emphasized “the strength and depth of the historical, geographical, and cultural ties between the two countries and peoples,” while the Senegalese minister expressed his “full agreement with his Mauritanian counterpart on all the important points raised.”
The meeting took place during a visit by the Senegalese Interior Minister, who is leading a delegation headed by Senegal’s Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, along with senior government officials to discuss vital issues between the two countries, notably irregular migration and the joint exploitation of the Ahmim gas field.
