At least 31404 people plus an unspecified number were deported from Algeria to the Niger border during 2024 according to observations by Alarme Phone Sahara - a number that exceeds all documented figures from previous years (to compare: 26031 people in 2023).
People queuing at Assamaka police station after deportation People assisted by APS tricycle after being abandoned at "Point Zero"
Alarme Phone Sahara strongly condemns the ruthless deportation policy of the Algerian state, as well as the inhumane and sometimes fatal conditions in which the people concerned, mainly nationals of sub-Saharan African countries, have been deported.
Alarme Phone Sahara believes that one of the reasons for this development is the increased cooperation between the Maghreb countries, which aims to make it more difficult for people from Niger to arrive and continue their journey, and to deport people on a large scale.
On the one hand, Algerian security forces regularly carry out raids and mass arrests in places where migrants live and work, including construction sites and empty buildings. At the same time, since 2023 there has been an increase in chain deportations, in which people are deported in Tunisia, often after sea pullbacks, to the Algerian border, and then by the Algerian security forces to the Niger border.
Repeated deaths after deportations, people abandoned in wounded and sick conditions
According to the whistleblowers of Alarme Phone Sahara, 5 people died after being deported from Algeria, being abandoned in the desert on the Algerian-Nigerian border between Point Zero and Assamaka between 9 and 13 May 2024.
Two others, who were trying to return to Algeria from where they had been deported, died in the vast desert area on the Algeria-Niger border between Assamaka and In Guezzam in the same month.
In addition, 3 migrants, including a 3-year-old girl, died at the Assamaka clinic in May 2024.
On 6 October 2024, a Pakistani man, who was also among those deported, died in Assamaka after a short illness.
Alarme Phone Sahara denounces the inhumane conditions of the deportation convoys from Algeria to Niger, where wounded, exhausted and sick people are abandoned in the desert border area in a life-threatening state, leading to cases of death.
People abandoned with injuries after deportation, assisted by APS tricycle
People stranded in Niger after deportation
By repealing law 2015-036 in November 2023, the State of Niger has taken a considerable step towards restoring freedom of movement on the routes of exile and migration. On the other hand, the Maghreb states, encouraged by the policies of the EU member states, are increasing the number of arrests, pushbacks and mass deportations.
With the avowed aim of repressing the arrival of people on the trans-Saharan routes to Niger, and in close coordination with European players, the states of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya launched a new Maghreb alliance in April 2024.
The result of this policy is that many deportees remain stranded in various localities in the Agadez region of northern Niger in precarious conditions.
They often lack the means to continue on the migration route, and returning to their countries of origin also proves difficult.
The IOM runs several camps known as ‘reception centres’, notably in Agadez, Arlit and Assamaka, but many deportees are unable to find a place there due to limited accommodation capacity, and live on the streets or in what are known as migrant ghettos.
Admission to IOM camps is linked to the condition of a so-called ‘voluntary return’ to the country of origin, but even these return programmes work only slowly.
So even people who really want to go home because of the lack of other prospects have to wait agonisingly long.
People stranded in Niger's cities after being deported have protested against their precarious situation many times. The EU states, which are investing millions of Euros in the fight against migration and the outsourcing of their borders, have so far failed to offer them any solutions.
Video shared by ‘Refugees in Libya’ on 17 October, showing the situation of hundreds of migrants of different African nationalities, including Gambians, stranded in Assamaka:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1245279893360726
Alarme Phone Sahara denounces the violent and, in the worst cases, fatal treatment of migrants by the Algerian security forces and calls for :
- Stop the death of people on the move!
- Dignified and sufficient humanitarian aid for all migrants and refugees stranded in Niger!
- An end to persecution and police violence against migrants in Algeria and other Maghreb countries!
- An end to deportations and pushbacks to deserts and border areas!
- Respect for the human rights of all people on the move!
- The opening of safe humanitarian routes for all people on the move across the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean!
- Assisted return under dignified conditions for people who genuinely wish to return to their countries of their own free will!
- The abolition of deportation and migration control agreements between the countries of the Sahel-Saharan region and EU member states!
Figures and details of deportations from Algeria to Niger:
At least 11606 people, plus an uncounted number, were deported from Algeria to Niger in the period from 14 August to 31 December 2024.
Of these, at least 2,940 people were deported during this period in so-called unofficial convoys and abandoned in the desert at ‘Point Zero’, forced to walk 15km to the border village of Assamaka.
In the same period, at least 8666 people, most of them Niger nationals, were deported in ‘official’ convoys on the basis of an deportation agreement concluded between Algeria and Niger in 2014. In particular, among the Niger nationals deported in ‘official convoys’, there were always many underage children and adolescents.
14. 08. 2024
47 people deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
Among them were 8 nationals of Mali, 6 from Guinea Conakry, 4 from Cameroon, 6 from Senegal, 9 from Sierra Leone, 3 from Nigeria, 2 from Ghana, 4 from Liberia and one person from Togo.
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23. 08. 2024
339 people deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
Among them 83 nationals of Mali, 95 from Guinea Conakry, 29 from Cameroon, 13 from Senegal, 2 from Sierra Leone, 23 from Nigeria, 3 from Ghana, 3 from Liberia, 16 from Burkina Faso, 23 from Benin, 18 from Côte d'Ivoire, 25 from Gambia, 4 from Congo and two from the Central African Republic.
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27. 08. 2024
1,018 people deported in an ‘official convoy’, including 38 adult women, 787 men, 86 underage girls and 107 underage boys.
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28.08.2024
An uncounted number of people deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
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06.09.2024
247 people deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
Among them 69 nationals of Mali, 109 from Guinea Conakry, 15 from Cameroon, 15 from Senegal, 6 from Sierra Leone, 8 from Nigeria, one from Liberia, 9 from Burkina Faso, 13 from Benin, 8 from Côte d'Ivoire and 4 from the Gambia.
687 people deported in an ‘official convoy’, including 37 adult women, 603 men, 25 under-age girls and 22 under-age boys.
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15.09.2024
186 people deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
Among them 44 from Mali, 76 from Guinea Conakry, 26 from Cameroon, 9 from Senegal, 5 from Sierra Leone, 6 from Nigeria, 4 from Burkina Faso, 2 from Benin, 7 from Côte d'Ivoire and 7 from the Gambia.
594 people deported in an ‘official convoy’, including 13 adult women, 508 men, 43 under-age girls and 30 under-age boys.
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17.09.2024
93 people deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
Among them 13 from Mali, 50 from Guinea Conakry, 6 from Senegal, 4 from Sierra Leone, 4 from Nigeria, one from Burkina Faso, one from Benin, 6 from Côte d'Ivoire, 7 from Gambia and one from Ghana.
732 people deported in an ‘official convoys, including 11 adult women, 692 adult men, 15 under-age girls and 14 under-age boys.
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22.09.2024
620 people deported in an ‘official convoy’, including 22 adult women, 496 adult men, 59 minor girls and 43 minor boys. The deportees included 619 nationals from Niger and one from Burkina Faso.
According to the APS team in Assamaka, those deported in an official convoy were taken directly to Agadez, to be repatriated to their places of origin.
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26.09.2024
141 people, including one woman and 140 men, deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
Among them 69 nationals from Guinea Conakry, 3 from Sierra Leone, 9 from Nigeria, 23 from Burkina Faso, 13 from Benin, 3 from Côte d'Ivoire, 13 from Sudan, 4 from Ethiopia, 2 from Niger, one from Cameroon, one from Togo and also 3 nationals from Syria.
According to the APS team in Assamaka, these people deported in an unofficial convoy have remained in Assamaka for the time being, waiting for a means of leaving the area.
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28.09.2024
249 people, including one woman and 242 men, deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
Among them 33 from Mali, 119 from Guinea Conakry, one from Sierra Leone, 9 from Nigeria, 3 from Burkina Faso, 7 from Benin, 11 from Côte d'Ivoire, 12 from Cameroon, 3 from Ethiopia, 15 from Niger, 36 from Sudan and one from Chad.
According to the APS team in Assamaka, these people deported in an unofficial convoy have remained in Assamaka for the time being, waiting for a means of leaving the area.
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06.10.2024 :
R.I.P.
A Pakistani man, who was among those deported from Algeria, died in Assamaka following a short illness after spending 5 to 6 months there.
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07.10.2024 :
R.I.P.
A Nigerien man from Zinder died in Assamaka following an accident 13 km before arriving in Assamaka on his way back from Algeria.
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28.10.2024
An uncounted number of people deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
The deportees included a man in a state of mental crisis. The APS team took him to Assamaka and dropped him off at the dispensary (CSI).
APS whistleblower assisting a man in mental crisis after deportation
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06.11.2024
166 people, including 10 women and 156 men, deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
Among them 6 Senegalese nationals, 15 from Benin, 6 from Burkina Faso, 16 from Cameroon, 8 from Côte d'Ivoire, 12 from Gambia, one from Liberia, 35 from Guinea Conakry, 12 from Sierra Leone, 38 from Mali and 17 from Nigeria.
912 people, including 101 underage girls, 66 underage boys, 42 women and 703 men, deported in an official convoy.
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11.11.2024
100 people, including one woman, deported in an unofficial convoy.
127 people, including 10 minor girls, 8 minor boys, 7 women and 102 men, deported in an official convoy.
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21.11.2024
223 people, including 8 women, deported in an unofficial convoy.
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24.11.2024
358 people, including 34 minor girls, 51 minor boys, 17 women and 256 men, deported in an official convoy.
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29.11.2024
Three official deportation convoys arrive in Assamaka:
- A convoy with 201 Niger nationals, including 11 women, 9 underage girls, 32 underage boys and 149 men.
- A convoy with 610 people.
- An official convoy, but with 250 non-Niger nationals: 11 from Sierra Leone, 4 from Burkina Faso, 2 from Ghana, 11 from Liberia, 5 from Senegal, 15 from Côte d'Ivoire, 7 from Cameroon, 65 from Mali, 111 from Guinea Conakry, 5 from Togo, 12 from Nigeria and 2 from Benin.
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02.12.2024
143 people including 3 women, 3 underage boys and 137 men deported in an unofficial convoy.
Among them 3 from Benin, 2 from Burkina Faso, 12 from Côte d'Ivoire, 2 from Gambia, 64 from Guinea Conakry, 35 from Mali, 15 from Niger and 10 from Togo.
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02.12.2024
188 people (244 announced by the Algerian authorities) deported in an official convoy made up of 11 lorries and one van.
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06.12.2024
Arrival of three successive waves of deportations in Assamaka:
52 non-Nigeriens and 77 Nigeriens, including two women and a minor girl, deported in two transports consisting of 4 lorries and 01 van and transported directly to Arlit on the same day.
799 people (911 announced by the Algerian authorities) deported in two other convoys:
- 734 people, including 64 underage girls, 47 underage boys, 38 women and 585 men, deported in an official convoy.
- 65 people deported in an “unofficial convoy”, including 52 from Nigeria, 9 from Mali, 2 from Cameroon, one from Senegal and one from Guinea Conakry.
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08.12.2024
437 people, including 12 women, 6 minors and 419 men, deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
Among them 17 Senegalese nationals, 4 from Benin, 8 from Burkina Faso, 11 from Cameroon, 3 from Côte d'Ivoire, 4 from Gambia, 5 from Liberia, 157 from Guinea Conakry, 8 from Sierra Leone, 177 from Mali, 18 from Nigeria, 12 from Sudan, two from Niger and one Chadian.
26 people were found injured, with bone fractures or exhausted between Point Zero and the Dune of Assamaka by the APS team. All were rescued and taken to the Assamaka health centre (CSI).
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10.12.2024
379 people, including 17 underage girls, 12 underage boys, 15 women and 335 men, deported in an official convoy.
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13.12.2024
215 people, including 6 women, 2 minor girls, 2 minor boys and 205 men, deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
Among them 13 Senegalese nationals, 2 from Benin, 6 from Burkina Faso, 2 from Cameroon, 7 from Côte d'Ivoire, 4 from Gambia, one from Liberia, 72 from Guinea Conakry, 2 from Sierra Leone, 44 from Mali, 16 from Nigeria, 38 from Sudan and 8 from Chad.
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23.12.2024
105 people, including 2 minor boys and 103 men, deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
Among them one from Burkina Faso, one from Cameroon, 4 from Côte d'Ivoire, one from Gambia, 29 from Guinea Conakry, 6 from Mali, one from Nigeria, 19 from Sudan, 9 from Somalia and 34 from Niger.
426 people, including 7 underage girls, 4 underage boys, 9 women and 406 men, deported in an official convoy.
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27.12.2024
184 people, including 2 women, 2 minor boys and 180 men, deported in an ‘unofficial convoy’.
Among them 3 nationals from Burkina Faso, one from Cameroon, 10 from Côte d'Ivoire, 56 from Guinea Conakry, 38 from Mali, one from Nigeria, 60 from Sudan, 4 from Eritrea, 2 from Liberia, 4 from Senegal and 5 from Chad.
256 Niger nationals (282 announced by the Algerian authorities), including one minor boy and 255 men, deported in an official convoy in 10 lorries and one van.
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31.12.2024
445 people from Niger, including 28 underage girls, 39 underage boys, 12 women and 366 men, deported in an official convoy.