Algeria Turns Back Nearly 20,000 Migrants to Niger Amid Brutal Conditions

Algeria has forcibly returned nearly 20,000 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa to Niger since January, Arab News reported yesterday citing the Niamey-based NGO Alarme Phone Sahara.

The organization reported that these irregular migrants, including women and children, face “brutal conditions” during their expulsion. Many are arrested during raids in cities or at the Tunisian border and taken to Tamanrasset, from where they are transported by truck to the Nigerien border.

Once abandoned at a desert area known as “point zero,” migrants must walk 15 kilometers to Assamaka under extreme temperatures. Alarme Phone Sahara highlighted stories of abuse and violence, with migrants often having their belongings confiscated by Algerian forces. In response to the violent repatriation methods, Niger’s junta summoned the Algerian ambassador to protest, while Algeria dismissed the allegations as “baseless.” Following the repeal of a 2015 law criminalizing migrant trafficking, movement along migration routes has reportedly increased without fear of reprisals.