As 2024 begins, Ohio immigration officials and Cincinnati-area nonprofits are grappling with a huge influx of Mauritanian immigrants – though it’s impossible to say just how many have arrived over the past year.
Several who work with the community said the number of newcomers is likely in the thousands – potentially meaning the population has doubled since 2022 – though it’s difficult to pinpoint precisely because many are undocumented and few speak English, making it difficult for area agencies to gather even anecdotal data.
“We’ve hired some French interpreters to ask some questions because I’m trying to learn their journey,” said John Keuffer of Valley Interfaith, an organization that helps provide food and clothing to people needing help.
“A few people say they’re seeking asylum from racism, for a better job or a better future.”
From 2019: Mauritanian immigrant now free, but ‘lost everything’ during one year in ICE detention
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is a West African nation of nearly 5 million citizens that became independent of France in 1960. It’s considered one of the least-developed countries in the world and is politically fraught: The country was the last in the world to abolish slavery in 1981, and even still, it wasn’t categorized as a criminal offense until 2007.