Migrants crossing the Niger desert are at risk of exploitation, violence and death, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which has been providing medical and humanitarian assistance in Niger's Agadez region since August 2018.
Nigerien authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have inaugurated the first reception center for victims of trafficking in Niger, located in the region of Zinder.
Smugglers are turning to perilous routes through the desert, or even dumping those hoping to reach North Africa. DW visited the transit hub of Agadez where efforts are being made to rescue migrants lost in the Sahara.
Amidst ongoing clashes in Tripoli, the UN refugee agency UNHCR moved 131 refugees out of Libya to its Emergency Transit Mechanism in Niger, where the refugees will receive humanitarian assistance.
A recent spike in violence in parts of northwest Nigeria has forced an estimated 20,000 people to seek safety and security in Niger since April,according the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR.
The UN agency for migration IOM has opened a new recreational center for minors in Niger to support families and help the reintegration of children returnees.
Human trafficking between Africa and Europe has not only thrived in recent years, it has grown into a highly abusive system involving corrupt elites and political networks. Jan Philipp-Scholz, the author of a new book on the migration business, has spoken with migrants in Africa on nearly every step of their journey. Their testimonies reveal the extent of abuse and human rights violations happening on Europe’s doorstep.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has set up call centers along popular migrant routes in West Africa, allowing migrants to phone home to their families for free. The two-minute calls help the migrants keep in touch with family members who can often go months on end without any news from their loved ones.
Abdallah Hidou, better known as Malohiya, is awaiting trial on charges of trafficking migrants to Italy from Niger. His arrest was the result of a joint African and European police investigation.
The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR and Fondazione Milan have joined forces for the project ''Sport as therapy'' which will allow refugees evacuated from Libya to Niger to practice sport to help them overcome the traumatic experiences they have endured as migrants.
Refugees and migrants in Algeria are facing difficult times. Amid the country's ongoing political transformation, authorities choose to deal with sub-Saharan migrants in the country by deporting them to Niger – into the middle of the desert.
Angela Merkel's government has declared Africa a policy focus and Germany's presence on the continent has expanded significantly. However, aid organizations say in a new report that the country has the wrong priorities.