Before you go to the desert

• Stay Informed! Know the safest routes and avoid high-risk areas!
• Travel in Groups: Never travel alone for your own safety!
• Carry Sufficient Supplies: Ensure an adequate supply of water, food, and medical necessities!
• Stay Connected: Use the hotline to report your location and seek help if in distress!
• Trust Local Support Networks: Engage with local activists and communities who can offer guidance and assistance!
• These measures can significantly enhance the chances of a safer journey through the Sahara!

On the regular routes, the journey through the desert did not take very long. After the law 2015-036, which criminalised migration movements in northern Niger, was repealed, the regular routes are no longer blocked. Nevertheless, there are many controls on the routes. Therefore, the duration of the journey can vary and sometimes be longer.

Agadez - Assamaka, Algerian border

Two (2) days

Agadez - Madama, Libyan border

Three (3) days

The risks and dangers are numerous and include dehydration, starvation, prolonged exposure to cold and sun, which can lead to loss of life. Road accidents and vehicle breakdowns account for a significant proportion of deaths. There are also cases of passengers being abandoned by transport operators. In addition, travellers are often victims of violence, exploitation and even kidnapping by criminal groups.

• Some drivers knowingly abandon migrants in the Desert to escape the hunt of security forces elements.
• Some drivers and migrants use remote and very dangerous roads to avoid checkpoints. This carries the risk of death: in the event of mechanical failure, misplacement or lack of fuel, you will be lost with little chance of being found.
• Some drivers rob migrants of their possessions, mistreat them and rape women among them.
• Often robbers or armed militias arrest migrants and take all their belongings and even their water and food supplies.
• Border crossings often racketeer, mistreat and abuse migrants before they can cross the border and take large sums of money from them.
• In the desert, there is a high risk of being attacked by bandits or armed militias who can not only rob, but also abuse, rape and murder migrants.
• During the transport, you will be trapped in a small space, in the heat of the desert, in extreme conditions, with many people of different origins. This situation produces enormous stress and can lead to conflict and violence between migrants and between migrants and drivers.
• If the police stop your vehicle as it passes through the desert, they stop the driver, confiscate the car and take you back to Agadez.

As in any profession, there are people of good faith and people of bad faith in the migrant transport sector. So there is the possibility of coming across mafia-style trafficking networks all along the chain. Whether it's cocursors, drivers or smugglers. Which puts you at risk of being stripped, beaten, raped or abandoned in the desert.

Before the adoption of the law on trafficking in human beings, the transport of migrants in the Sahara of West Africa was managed mainly by people who knew each other. So there was a sense of solidarity between smugglers and drivers, who came to each other's assistance and rescue. Criminalisation has encouraged unknown people to enter the trade, increasing the risk of getting the wrong people. In addition, the fear of criminalisation can provoke irresponsible reactions on the part of drivers as they flee, abandoning passengers in the desert.

If you decide to leave anyway, you must protect yourself by:

• Informing your family of your departure (time of departure and arrival - telephone number) to inform the emergency services if you do not give any sign of life. If possible, share a photo with the clothing worn on the journey through the desert.

• Taking information from different sources before putting themselves in the hands of smugglers or cooks to reduce the risk of falling into the wrong hands. Possible sources of information to consult: Human rights organisations and NGOs defending migrants; also former smugglers, former drivers, etc. with experience in the field.

• You training for the extreme conditions of the desert. Before leaving, get used to drinking only small amounts of water during the day!

• Ensuring that your driver has a working satellite phone that is working.

• If possible, check that the driver has enough fuel, spare tyres and spare parts (spark plugs, etc.).
• Supplying you with water, food, gas or charcoal, medicines, hygiene products, clothing and a piece of white cloth in case of distress.

• Seeking to maintain respect and discipline towards drivers and other passengers to avoid stress and conflicts between you.

• Having with you a passport, identity card or ECOWAS card. For citizen from some countries visa for certain countries are needed or residence permit will be asked for. Finally, a vaccination booklet (commonly known as the yellow booklet) will also be necessary.

Behaviour in the event of a breakdown or abandonment in the middle of the desert:

• Use a piece of white cloth as a visible flag to signal that you are in distress and need help!

• If available, locate your precise position through GPS!

• If you are in the desert area of the Agadez region: Call Alarme Phone Sahara with a satelite phone: +227 89983339 or +227 83446534 (reachable from outside Niger)

• Avoid panic reactions! Don't let yourself be carried away by fear - always keep hope!

• Never walk in the middle of the desert - unless you have reliable landmarks! Stay put to save energy and improve the chance of being found and saved!