After the mass deportations from Algeria that arrived at the border of Niger on 5th, 11th, 14th, 16th, 21st and 23rd of March 2021, at least 1285 more people were deported on two more deportation convoys on 28th and 30th of March 2021. With that, the total number of people deported from Algeria to Niger by force and against their will within March 2021 rises to the total number of at least 6249 persons.
Algerian security forces deporting migrant women Algerian security forces arresting a man for deportation
(photo end 2019/early 2020) ©Louiza Ammi/Liberté (photo from one of the previous deportation operations)
Alarme Phone Sahara strongly condemns the ongoing violent mass deportation convoys from Algeria to Niger, the raids and persecution against migrants from mostly Sub-Saharan African countries in Niger and the systematic human rights violations connected to these deportation policies!
We remind one more time that according to the "Association Agir Ensemble pour lutter Contre l'Immigration Clandestine (AAECC)" (Association Acting Together to Fight Clandestine Migration) from Algeria, 60 people were killed in a bus accident during a deportation convoy that had left Algiers on 12th of March 2021. Up till now, no clarification concerning this shocking news has taken place from the side of Algerian authorities.
"Non-official" deportation convoy on 28th of March
According to the whistleblowers of Alarme Phone Sahara, a "non-official" deportation convoy with at least 384 migrants from various countries, among them three women, arrived in the border area between Algeria and Niger near Assamaka on 28th of March. On these "non-official" deportation convoys, people are deported and left in the border area between Algeria and Niger in the middle of the desert and forced to walk 15 to 20 kilometers to the border post of Assamaka. The biggest group on this deportation convoy were 221 people from Mali, besides them 23 people from Ivory Coast, 25 from Sierra Leone, 34 from Burkina Faso, 16 from Nigeria, 13 from Cameroon, 5 from The Gambia, 10 from Senegal, 5 from Sudan, 16 from Benin, 8 from Yemen, three from Liberia, two from Guinea Conakry, two from Togo and one person from Ghana.
"Official" deportation convoy on 30th of March
Two days later, on 30th of March, another "official" deportation convoy from Algeria with 901 people arrived at Assamaka. Most of them were Nigeriens, among them 55 minor girls, 70 minor boys, 45 women and 731 men. In addition to them, 7 people from Sudan and one person from Nigeria were deported on this "official" convoy. One more time, the high number of minors among them shows the disregard of children's rights by Algerian security forces. According to Human Rights Watch, migrant children in Algeria had already been separated from their families and deported alone in previous deportation operations in October 2020.
In view of the inhumane and racist deportation policies of the Algerian state:
- Alarme Phone Sahara demands truth and clarification from the Algerian state on what actually happened on the deportation convoy that left Algiers on 12th of March, especially if it is true that any people have been killed in a bus accident, and calls on anyone who can witness what happened to share their information!
- Alarme Phone Sahara demands an immediate end to the practice of deporting children who are not even officially counted, putting the safety of children at stake and risking disappearances of children!
- Alarme Phone Sahara demands to stop immediately separating children from their parents and to stop arresting and deporting children!
- Alarme Phone Sahara calls for an immediate end to deportations and pushbacks of refugees and migrants from Algeria to Niger - no war on refugees and migrants!
- Alarme Phone Sahara calls for an end to acts of theft and violence by Algerian security forces against migrants and refugees!
- Alarme Phone Sahara demands the cancellation of the deportation agreement between Algeria and Niger!
- Alarme Phone Sahara calls for an end to the delivery of military and security goods to the Algerian state!
- Alarme Phone Sahara calls for an end to the externalisation of European borders on African soil!
- Alarme Phone Sahara calls on the civil societies of the countries involved and concerned to resist deportations and pushbacks and to defend the lives, rights and freedom of movement of migrants and refugees!
- Alarme Phone Sahara also calls on the authorities and parliaments of all countries concerned to support their citizens and not to accept any more mass deportations from Algeria to the borders of Niger and Mali!