The Association of Mauritanian Mayors launched the activities of two local-government networks in Nouakchott on Tuesday, October 13. One covers migration and asylum, while the other focuses on citizenship, social cohesion and civil peace, according to the Mauritanian News Agency.
An association workshop supported by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation is examining the networks' activation and roadmaps. The migration work involves coordination among municipalities, authorities and local communities in implementing the national strategy, particularly in border areas.
Yacoub Salem Vall, the minister delegate for decentralisation and local development, said the government's approach introduced in mid-2022 had included granting free regular residence permits to about 136,000 foreign nationals from 85 countries. He presented these figures as a record of earlier measures, rather than a new regularisation operation announced at the workshop.
The minister also cited the opening of 29 border crossings, bringing the total to 82, a visa system and closer cooperation with neighbouring countries. He referred to temporary accommodation centres in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and emphasised the security, economic, social and humanitarian dimensions of migration policy.
The citizenship network's remit includes tackling discrimination and exclusion and promoting coexistence. The mayors' association president said municipalities' proximity to residents and knowledge of local concerns gave them a role in relations among different communities and foreign residents.
Representatives of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the International Organization for Migration expressed readiness to continue working with the authorities, mayors and other partners. The announcement concerns the start of activities and local coordination; the agency's report did not announce a new law or a specified funding allocation for the networks.
