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BREAKING
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Reality is that there is a very limited retreat of the vehicles, with the occupation forces providing cover undeer fire up to Salah al-Din Street

Libya mass deports Nigeriens in 'dangerous, traumatizing' journey

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Guardian
  • 10 Jan 2025 16:00
  • 2 Shares
3 Min Read

Forcibly deported migrants endure freezing winter temperatures, overcrowding in trucks, and frequent fights for space, often resulting in injuries.

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  • African migrants stand on the Libyan border with Tunisia on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2023. (AP)
    African migrants stand on the Libyan border with Tunisia on Thursday, August 4, 2023. (AP)

More than 600 Nigerien nationals were forcibly deported from Libya in one of the largest known expulsions from the country.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported that 613 people arrived in Dirkou, Niger, after being transported across the Sahara in a convoy of trucks. The migrants had been rounded up over the past month by Libyan authorities.

Azizou Chehou from Alarm Phone Sahara (APS) highlighted this as the largest expulsion to date, surpassing a previous deportation of 400 people in July. The incident draws attention to the ongoing human rights abuses against migrants in Libya, which have been linked to European Union border policies, according to The Guardian. 

Chehou described the journey across the Sahara between Libya and Niger as "dangerous and traumatizing", noting that migrants endure freezing winter temperatures, overcrowding in trucks, and frequent fights for space, often resulting in injuries like broken limbs. Many arrive in Agadez in poor physical and emotional condition.

Critics accuse EU nations, particularly Italy, of outsourcing migration control to North African countries like Libya and Tunisia. Italy has reported a substantial drop in migrant arrivals, with 66,317 reaching its shores in 2024, compared to more than double the number in 2023. Activists such as David Yambio, spokesperson for the nonprofit organization Refugees in Libya, warn of the deadly consequences of these policies, with migrants often facing dire conditions in the desert.

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"Leaders like [Viktor] Orbán, [Giorgia] Meloni, or Trump applaud such efficient cruelty. It’s no accident; it’s the design. The EU pays to erase migrants, to make suffering invisible, and to wash its hands while others do its dirty work," Yambio said. 

Jalel Harchaoui, a Libya specialist at the Royal United Services Institute, highlighted that while rounding up and expelling foreign workers has been a longstanding practice in southern Libya, this recent incident stands out due to the unusually large number of people expelled at once.

The expulsions, carried out by local authorities in Sabha without official announcements or clear policies, reflect a pattern of hostility in the rhetoric of the Haftar-led Libyan National Army, often demonizing sub-Saharan African migrants, Harchaoui added. 

Libya has traditionally attracted workers from Niger, Mali, and Chad for jobs in agriculture, construction, and retail, as well as migrants seeking to travel to Europe. The UNHCR expressed readiness to assist the IOM in supporting those in need of international protection.

Read more: Libya fully reopens vital Ras Ijdir border crossing with Tunisia

  • Refugees
  • Libya
  • Africa
  • migrants
  • deportation
  • Niger

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