Mass Deportation of Nigeriens from Libya: A Harrowing Journey Across the Desert
Department of Research, Studies and International News 11-01-2025
Libya has expelled over 600 Nigerien nationals, forcing them to undertake a perilous and distressing journey through the Sahara Desert. This marks one of the largest known deportations from Libya to date.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported that 613 individuals arrived in Dirkou, a remote desert town in Niger, transported in a convoy of trucks.
Azizou Chehou, from the migrant advocacy group Alarm Phone Sahara, noted, “This is unprecedented. “The EU funds these expulsions, erasing migrants and obscuring their suffering, while delegating the enforcement to countries like Libya,” he said. The journey from Libya to Niger is fraught with danger. “Migrants, crammed together, often engage in fights for space, with some falling from trucks and sustaining severe injuries,” he explained.
Jalel Harchaoui, an expert on Libyan affairs with the Royal United Services Institute, highlighted that deportations have been a recurring practice in southern Libya, even during the Gaddafi era. He attributed the expulsions to local authorities’ actions rather than any official policy.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) expressed concern about the increasing number of migrants being expelled and affirmed its readiness to work with the IOM to identify and assist those in need of international protection.
