Criminalisation of Migration in Niger
On 27 and 28 February 2023, a hybrid conference on the criminalisation of migration was organised by Alarme Phone Sahara (APS) in collaboration with partner organisations in Niamey at the Hotel Homeland, to launch a campaign for the substantive revision of Niger's law on migrant smuggling "2015-36". This law primarily serves the interests of the European Union in its ambition to stop as many migrants as possible heading north. It therefore also bears some responsibility for the many violations of the rights of people on the move crossing the desert.
The conference provided a forum for those affected by the criminalisation of migration, as well as activists from various civil society organisations and associations in Niger and other West African countries, and allies from Europe. Participants presented evidence of the harmful effects of law 2015-036 for people on migration routes and their safety, for Nigerien communities, particularly in the Agadez region, and also for freedom of movement throughout West Africa and the Sahel-Saharan zone. They also made legal and political demands at a time when the state of Niger has announced a review of the current version of the law.
The organisers consider the conference a success in several respects:
On the one hand, the composition of those present: There were activists from various civil society groups in Niger, including Action Non à la Loi 2015 - 036, Alternative Espaces Citoyens, and Observatoire Migrants en Détresse (OMD). They included people affected as migrants, but also as drivers or former providers of migration services, lawyers, international activists committed to the struggle for human rights and freedom of movement, journalists, researchers and also the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH Niger), represented by Ali Dodo, who holds the post of deputy general rapporteur.
The quality of the presentations, exchanges and debates is also to be commended.
| Full title | Report of the Transnational Conference on the Criminalisation of Migration 27 and 28 February 2023 in Niamey, Niger |
|---|---|
| Author | Unspecified |
| Publisher | Alarm Phone Sahara |
| Year | 2023 |
| Media type | Website |
| Link | https://alarmephonesahara.info/en/blog/posts/report-of-the-transnational-conference-on-the-criminalisation-of-migration-27-and-28-february-2023-in-niamey-niger |
| Topics | European Externalization Policies & Cash Flows, Criminalization of Borderwork - Trafficking, Migration Routes & Transport |
| Regions | West Africa, Sahara and Sahel |