Six hundred refugees returned from Algeria arrived in Niger

Nearly 600 African migrants, "repressed" from Algeria and rescued in the desert, arrived midweek in northern Niger.

"For three days, a first wave of more than 180 Nigeriens has been arrived in Agadez, followed by another (wave) of at least 400 foreigners " told AFP Sunday a municipal official of Agadez, the large city of northern Niger, close to Algeria. This official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the "atrocious habitual conditions" in which the migrants were "abandoned" near the border with Niger. "According to their testimony, they were brought near the border" he explained. "Left with a minimum of water and food" they then "walked a good fifty kilometers before being rescued" . Among the repressed Nigerians are "children and many women" including "some arrived sick" .

18 rescue operations since the beginning of the year

Nigerians are already supported by the local authorities and other West Africans by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), assured the city official . In a tweet Friday, IOM Niger's representative, Giuseppe Loprete, said his agency had assisted 391 migrants of 16 nationalities left behind on the border with Niger and Algeria. Among these repressed, there are Ivorians, Senegalese, Guineans and Cameroonians. Since the beginning of the year, IOM has already conducted "18 rescue operations" identical to the Algerian border and brought back 3,000 people. To deny the allegations of ill-treatment of sub-Saharan migrants, Algeria had invited the media in early July to follow the deportation under exemplary conditions of more than 300 of them to Niger.