Reflections on the restriction of freedom of movement between ECOWAS countries, based on traveling experiences between Niamey and Ouagadou by Dr. Chehou Azizou and Moctar Dan Yayé in October 2019.
News
An article in French on the evacuation of refugees from Libya to NIger on Niamey.com:
According to this testimony from survivors, a number of 600 people of multiple nationalities, including women and children, were left behind at the border between Algeria and Niger.
The IOM (International Organisation of Migration) is presently organising an "awareness raising caravan" through different cities of Niger (from Niamey to Tahoua, Agadez, Arlit and others) to "raise awareness of the risks of irregular migration and its alternatives".
But what are actually the aims the IOM pursues?
https://www.iom.int/news/awareness-raising-caravan-sets-month-long-trip-across-niger
A report in French on mediapart.fr on the installation of biometric tools as part of "Midas" - the system of information and analysis on data concerning migration - at border checkpoints of Niger republic.
© Francesco Bellina
"Midas" is financed by the EU in collaboration with Japan and set up by the IOM - creator and owner of the Midas system - together with Eucap Sahel, the "civil security" mission of the EU in the Sahel countries.
Besides people blocked in transit in Niger or pushed back from Algeria, there is a rising number of refugees in Agadez/Niger who have applied for asylum in Niger republic and who are living in camps run by UNHCR or by NGOs collaborating with UNHCR. Most of them are Sudanese from Darfur region.
A report on Al Jazeera on the case of at least 30 refugees and migrants who were tortured in Libya in March 2019 after having fled from a detention centre and holding a protest in the city of Tripolis in March 2019.
Parce que la mobilité est un droit pour tous. Notre association Alarme Phone Sahara est présente sur le terrain. Elle apporte son message d'amour, de solidarité aux migrants (es) en transit pour la Libye à travers le grand et dangereux désert du ténéré.