On July 18, 463 Nigerien men reached Dirkou in eastern Niger, after being expelled from neighboring Libya, according to Alarme Phone Sahara.

Azizou Chehou, coordinator of Alarme Phone Sahara in Niger, told InfoMigrants that over 1,000 people are slated for expulsion.

"We have been told of a wave of expulsions from Libya. More than 1,000 people are to be expelled in total," Chehou said.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Niger told InfoMigrants that while they have observed returns of Nigeriens from Libya before, they have never seen them on such a scale.

NGO warns situation for migrants will deteriorate

Migrant expulsions to Niger are frequent, particularly from Algeria, where exiles are often sent into the desert near the border and must walk to the Nigerien border town of Assamaka. However, pushbacks from Libya have been less common until now.

According to Alarme Phone Sahara, the Nigeriens arriving in Dirkou on July 18 were primarily arrested in the region of Sabha, central Libya, by forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar. They were then transported to the Libyan border and entered Niger in goods trucks, claims Chehou.

The humanitarian organization Alarme Phone Sahara has published photos on its X account showing a large crowd of people gathered in Dirkou, a small town with around 15,000 inhabitants. Dirkou houses a transit center operated by IOM, but with only 30 places it is already at full capacity.

"Nigerien migrants who arrived from Libya and are present in Dirkou are not being cared for in this center," IOM Niger told InfoMigrants. "They are being cared for by the Nigerien authorities, who have set up a system to support them."

IOM supplements this aid with distributions of food and other essentials, such as hygiene kits. The agency also assists the migrants in returning to their regions of origin by providing transportation.

"For the moment, the situation is under control, but with the forecasts we have had, we fear that things will deteriorate," said Azizou Chehou, coordinator of the Alarme Phone Sahara project in Niger. According to Chehou, the exiles are expected to be transferred to Agadez.

Migrant activity surges in Niger following repeal of anti-smuggling law

Migrant movements have surged in Niger since the ruling junta annulled the law criminalizing smugglers in November 2023.

Originally adopted in 2015 under pressure from the European Union (EU), the law imposed prison sentences of five to ten years and fines ranging from one to five million CFA francs (1,500 to 7,600 euros) on traffickers. This legislation made Niger a crucial partner for the EU in its efforts to control migratory movements. However, the partnership deteriorated following a military coup in July 2023.

"It's a law that contravened the free movement of people and goods, so it was very well received. We're going to get back to work. If we see migrants, we'll transport them," Sidi Mamadou, a 42-year-old former smuggler and activist for legal immigration, told the news outlet France 24 shortly after the repeal.

Since then, the smuggling business in Agadez, a major hub on the West African and sub-Saharan migration routes, flourished once more. Dirkou, too, has become increasingly involved in this activity.

Smugglers tout increased safety for migrants

Smugglers are emphasizing so-called increased safety for migrants following the annulment of the anti-smuggling law in November 2023. They claim that the routes to Libya are safer now than during the ban, which forced them to use unofficial and more dangerous paths.

"This law had forced migrants to take routes that were increasingly far from the main roads and more dangerous," Rhoumour Ahmet Tchilouta told InfoMigrants. Tchilouta collaborated with the Border Forensics organization on studying the impact of the 2015 law on the desert route to Libya.

Currently, the journey to the Mediterranean is considered safer and more regulated, albeit over a smaller perimeter. However, after crossing the Niger border, migrants still face significant dangers in the desert and Sahel regions, such as the risk of encountering terrorist groups or local mafias.

The final destination, Sabha, in southern Libya, remains notoriously dangerous for migrants.

Reports from IOM and media outlets have described the conditions for migrants in Sabha as "hell." Reports indicate the existence of slave markets in the town, a critical transit point for those heading to the coast.

While the repeal of the anti-smuggling law has made certain aspects of the journey safer, activists warn that the overall risks for migrants remain severe.

This article was based on an article on our French page by Julia Dumont. It was translated and added to by Sou-Jie van Brunnersum