Migrants in Nouakchott are complaining about long waits for residence cards, which Mauritania has required of all foreigners since 2022, according to a Radio France Internationale (RFI) report published on Friday, October 16.
Ibrahima, who has lived in Mauritania since 2020, said his card now allows him to work and move around freely "without being afraid of being arrested by the police," after it had been "very difficult" without it. "What is complicated now is the processing time. Sometimes it takes more than three to four months to get it," he said.
Kalidou, who arrived about three months ago, has yet to receive his card. He said applications can be filed only on Saturdays, a single day a week that he described as insufficient given the number of migrants. Being able to apply on all five working days "would make things easier for us," he said.
Earlier this week, at the launch of two mayors' networks on migration and social cohesion, Minister Delegate for Decentralisation and Local Development Yacoub Salem Vall said the approach adopted since mid-2022 had allowed free residence permits to be issued to about 136,000 foreigners of 85 nationalities, and that 29 new border posts had been opened, bringing the total to 82. The authorities say they aim to make legal pathways easier and reduce the use of informal routes.
