Uncertainty about the political future of Western Sahara deterred the ethnic Sahrawi refugees from returning home.

Some chose to immigrate to Europe, as part of the general migration wave from Africa, while others dispersed in Mauritania.

The number of Sahrawi refugees in Tindouf camps is disputed and politically sensitive.

Morocco argues that Polisario and Algeria overestimate the numbers to attract political attention and foreign aid, while Polisario accuses Morocco of attempting to restrict human aid as a means of pressure on civilian refugee populations.

[4][5] United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) referred to Algeria's figure for many years, but in 2005 concern about it being inflated led the organization to reduce its working figure to 90,000 based on satellite imagery analysis.

The Moroccan government contends that the total number of refugees is around 45,000 to 50,000, and also that these people are kept in the camps by Polisario against their will.

[12] The ECHO (European Commission – Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection) allocated in 2013 some 10 million Euro for the purposes of improving living conditions of Sahrawi refugees.