Niger will receive 4,000 migrants expelled from Algeria as part of a humanitarian effort to avert a looming crisis in the desert.
Agadez Governor Ibrah Boulama announced the plan Saturday, confirming the operation will be carried out with support from the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The migrants will be temporarily sheltered in Niger before being repatriated to their countries of origin in a process extending through July.
Boulama described the influx as “unprecedented,” noting that over 6,000 migrants had arrived in Assamaka, a remote border town overwhelmed by the surge.
IOM shelters, already stretched thin, are unable to cope with the growing number of arrivals, raising fears of deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
Since 2014, Algeria has routinely expelled irregular migrants from across Africa, many of whom had hoped to transit toward Europe.
Niger, ruled by a military government since 2023, now faces mounting pressure as it absorbs large groups of displaced people in a fragile region.
Authorities fear the escalating numbers could undermine domestic stability and stretch already limited resources in the arid north.
According to the Nigerien NGO Alarme Phone Sahara, Algeria expelled more than 31,000 migrants into Niger in 2024 alone.
With temperatures rising and shelter running scarce, officials are racing against time to prevent what they call a potential humanitarian disaster.
The operation underscores Niger’s delicate position in a broader migration crisis gripping North and West Africa.