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Algerian authorities have expelled 1,141 undocumented migrants to Niger, marking the first wave of mass deportations in what humanitarian groups warn could be a worsening crisis. The group, comprised of individuals from 17 different countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, arrived Saturday in Assamaka, a remote town on Niger’s northern border.
Among those expelled were 41 women and 12 children, according to figures confirmed by both local police and non-governmental organizations operating in the region. Many of the deportees were from countries such as Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Nigeria, Somalia, Bangladesh, and Sudan.
The migrants were transported in unofficial convoys and dropped off in the desert at a site known as “Point Zero,” located approximately 15 kilometers from Assamaka. They were then forced to walk the remaining distance on foot, often without food or water, braving extreme desert temperatures. Aid groups have condemned the practice as life-threatening and inhumane.
“This is the first convoy of a new wave of deportations,” said Tcherno Abarchi, a member of Alarme Phone Sahara (APS), in comments to the Spanish news agency EFE.
Abdou Aziz Chehou, APS’s national coordinator based in Arlit, noted that the number of migrants expelled to Assamaka since early April has now reached nearly 4,000. He expressed deep concern over what he called a “worrying trend,” echoing similar alerts issued in 2023 amid deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the area.
Despite efforts from international aid organizations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Coopi, Karkara, and APS, resources remain stretched. “We are struggling to cope with the influx,” said Chehou. “The needs are enormous.”
He also revealed that some of the deported migrants had legal residency or jobs in Algeria, a move he said violates international conventions on the protection of migrants.
Eyewitnesses and humanitarian workers reported cases of violence and extreme abandonment. Some women, including pregnant individuals and mothers with small children, arrived at Point Zero utterly exhausted. Several collapsed along the way, and reports of fatalities have emerged.
The expulsions underscore the deadly risks many migrants face while pursuing the dream of reaching Europe. As humanitarian organizations call for greater international attention and accountability, the human toll of such policies continues to mount in one of the most unforgiving regions of the Sahara.
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