The community of Ivorian nationals stranded at the IOM camp in Agadez for over a year took to the streets of the city for a colourful protest march.
This morning, 27 January 2026, migrants from Ivory Coast staying at the IOM transit centre in Agadez staged a peaceful demonstration to denounce the considerable delay in organising their return to their country of origin.
The protesters expressed their frustration at the uncertainty and endless delays, chanting:
‘We want to go home!’
This action aims to draw the attention of the relevant authorities and international organisations to their difficult situation, after more than a year of waiting in the camp.
The plight of people deported from the Maghreb countries
This unbearable situation is a direct result of the mass deportations from Tunisia and Algeria of people of various African nationalities to Niger. More than 34,000 people were deported to the Niger border in 2025. Because of these deportations in inhumane conditions, thousands of people remain stranded in Niger with nothing, often with no other prospect than to return to their countries.
The IOM, the promise of ‘voluntary’ returns and the externalisation of borders
Even the so-called ‘voluntary’ returns organised by the IOM often do not work at all reliably. As a result, many people remain stranded in IOM centres or even on the streets for long periods of time, as lamented by the Ivorian community in Agadez.
Alarme Phone Sahara demands:
- A positive response to the migrants' protest in Agadez and reassurance that all those who wish to return will do so in dignified conditions!
- A halt to deportations and pushbacks from Maghreb countries, which are causing thousands of people to suffer in limbo in Niger!
- Alarme Phone Sahara also denounces the externalisation of borders by European states, which encourages pushbacks and human rights violations!
