Niger will receive 4,000 migrants expelled from Algeria for humanitarian reasons, according to the governor of the Agadez region.
Ibrah Boulama stated on state television that the UN’s IOM will assist with the repatriation to their home countries.
This operation, planned between now and July, aims to prevent a “humanitarian disaster” following an “unprecedented wave of pushbacks” from Algeria in April.
Over 6,000 migrants arrived in Assamaka, overwhelming IOM shelters.
Algeria has regularly expelled migrants since 2014, a transit point for those seeking to reach Europe.
Niger’s military government worries that the large influx of expelled migrants could create domestic security issues.
Last year, Algeria reportedly expelled over 31,000 migrants into Niger.
