Nouadhibou, Mauritania – When Omar*, a 29-year-old bricklayer from rural Gambia, crossed the border into Mauritania in March, he came in search of the better pay he’d heard he could find.He settled in Nouadhibou, Mauritania’s second-largest city, where he shared a one-room shack with four friends, and found work as a casual labourer on construction sites, earning two to three times more than he had back home.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe oldest of nine children and the son of a rice farmer, Omar was able to save enough to support his family in The Gambia and pay his younger siblings’ school fees.Then, in August, the National Guard’s armed pick-up trucks arrived in the city, and the police began rounding up migrants to detain and deport.Nouadhibou’s construction sites became early targets, so, to avoid capture, Omar – who did not have a residence permit – stopped working. He limited his movements to his housing compound in a dusty alleyway in Ghiran, a neighbourhood with a large migrant population, and the adjacent corner store.But soon, the police began targeting homes. They came day and night – breaking down doors if those inside did not respond immediately.One evening, police swept through Omar’s compound. He and his friends escaped by fleeing over the rooftops, but with nowhere else to go, they returned later that night.Still unable to work, Om …
