The EU announces 210 million euros in aid to help Mauritania combat irregular migration

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The EU has announced 210 million euros to help the coastal nation of Mauritania combat irregular migration, as the number of migrants making the dangerous Atlantic crossing from West Africa to Europe rises sharply. European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday called for the EU and Mauritania to reinforce their cooperation on migration as she visited the capital of Nouakchott alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Spain’s Canary Islands have increasingly become a stepping stone for migrants and refugees trying to reach continental Europe from West Africa. In January alone, some 7,270 migrants landed on the archipelago, about as many as in the first six months of 2023.