Canada has announced it will take in 750 vulnerable refugees who were kept under slave-like conditions in Libya. 150 persons have been resettled so far, another 600 will follow over the next two years. Canada is also looking to accept refugees from Niger.
Europe’s governments are breathing a sigh of relief as the number of refugees arriving from Africa falls. But at what price?
The UN refugee agency Thursday voiced concern for the safety of 100 Arab citizens who went missing after seeking shelter in Algeria and others stranded at the border with Niger. The organization appeals for access to assess the protection needs of the refugees.
Thousands of migrants from West Africa who are currently in Niger have endured torture and trauma while attempting to reach Europe, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reports. The organization's clinic in Niamey offers medical assistance to migrants.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has called for greater labor mobility for migrants in Africa to improve good governance of migrant flows on the continent.
The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR said it successfully evacuated 135 people from Libya to Niger on the night of Tuesday, October 16, amidst an increasingly volatile security situation in Tripoli. In a statement, UNHCR said many of the evacuated had been held in detention centers for several months and were suffering from the effects of malnutrition and poor health.
Ibrahim from Mali and Djibril from Cameroon were arrested by Algerian security forces and forced to cross the border to Niger, located in the middle of the desert, on foot. They told InfoMigrants about their nightmarish journey.
Earlier this week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou. The two sides promised to work closer on stemming illegal migration due to Niger's role as a migration hub in Western Africa, but Issoufou's own human rights record raises alarms.
Non-profit organization ARCI has denounced that the cooperation between the EU and Africa on migration policies focuses on controls and repatriations rather than protection.
Helen was held in Libya, where she endured violence and abuse. Today, she is waiting to be transferred to Europe thanks to a resettlement program promoted by the EU, IOM and UNHCR.
Nearly 600 African migrants were rescued Sunday after being stranded in the Algerian desert. Algeria has been accused of pursuing a tough deportation policy of African migrants.
The International Organzation for Migration (IOM) has expressed concern for the the fate of the stranded migrants in the no man's land between Algeria and Niger. IOM Director General William Lacy Swing said the number of migrants making the dangerous journey there is on the rise.