A group of Gambian migrants who recently returned from Mauritania has alleged they were seriously tortured while in Mauritanian detention centers.

The migrants, most of them under 30 years old, were intercepted by Mauritanian immigration officials as they attempted to enter Morocco and travel on to Spain's Canary Islands.

One of them, Buba Jawo disclosed: "We were detained for more than two days in Nouadhibou before we were moved to Nouakchott, where we were held for more than three days."

He continued: "During our detention, they neither gave us water nor food. We were forced to buy food from them. We were also forced to sleep on the floor."

Buba and his friends were released on Saturday, March 19. They were escorted back to the Senegalese border by Mauritanian immigration officials.

"We paid over 500 euro to a Mauritian smuggler who promised to assist to enter Spain," said Buba.

Mauritania has become the new route for those trying to smuggle themselves out of The Gambia since Niger and Libya tightened their borders.