At Least 35 Migrants Die Crossing Niger Desert on Route to Europe

At Least 35 Migrants Die Crossing Niger Desert on Route to Europe
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At least 35 migrants have died in the Nigerien section of the Sahara Desert since the start of 2025 while attempting to reach Libya or Algeria as part of their journey toward Europe, according to the NGO “Alarm Phone Sahara.”

The group’s coordinator, Aziz Chehou, told AFP on Saturday that estimates suggest between 35 and 40 fatalities occurred between February and August, warning the toll could rise due to the harsh conditions migrants face.

Thousands of African migrants attempt the crossing each year, but many perish after being abandoned by smugglers, stranded by vehicle breakdowns, or expelled from neighboring countries into the desert.

In 2024, Algeria deported a record 31,000 migrants, while Niger’s ruling military council reported about 16,000 deportations in the first half of 2025. Interior Minister General Mohamed Toumba condemned such forced returns as “inhumane.”

To avert what it calls a “humanitarian catastrophe,” Niger, in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration, is repatriating thousands of migrants from reception centers in Agadez and Arlit.

Meanwhile, the junta has repealed a 2015 anti-smuggling law that imposed prison terms of up to 30 years, arguing it worsened clandestine migration without reducing deaths. Niger remains a key transit hub for migrants, drawing increasing pressure from neighboring states and the EU to curb flows.