Kingsley Kobo, AfricaNews reporter in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Mauritanian security officials on Wednesday arrested 34 African migrants attempting to smuggle themselves into Spain, state news agency, AMI, said. The arrests were made along the border with Western Sahara, which is administered by Morocco.
According to the report, the Red Crescent was allowed access to the migrants who were believed to be from Mali, Senegal and Guinea.
The officials quoted the migrants saying they had attempted moving further into Morocco, but were chased into Mauritania by guards.
AfricaNews reporter said Mauritania, like Morocco, has become a frequented spot for African migrants in quest of greener pastures, to attempt voyages to the coasts of nearby Spanish islands.
Nouakchott would hold the migrants in detention until they could be deported back to their countries of origin, the security officials said.
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