As borders between African states are closed due to the Corona crisis, deportations and pushbacks continue and thousands of migrants and refugees are stranded in transit countries such as Niger. Protests arise while people complain about bad living conditions inside camps and mismanagement by the IOM.
A group of migrants from Mali who were deported from Algeria to Niger and who are stranded at the IOM Transit Centre in Agadez addressed the people, the authorities and the President of Mali with the request to facilitate their return home:
Video declaration on Facebook Média A
In Arlit, around 640 people, mostly migrants deported from Algeria, are currently stranded in the IOM transit camp. On 20th of April, people protested and revolted against the unbearable conditions in which they are currently living.
The situation in the face of the Corona crisis also produces new challenges and plights for people on the flight- and migration routes in Niger, as borders are shut down and a signifficant number of people remain blocked at IOM and UNHCR camps and transit centres.
Practices of active solidarity, which should not be forgotten even in times when the corona crisis seems to overshadow everything:
On 12th and 13th of March 2020, 38 persons were rescued with the assistance of an Alarme Phone Sahara team near the Mafrouss well in the desert near the border between Niger and Libya.
