26/08/2020 – Niger’s security forces have arrested more than 100 people in the Sahara desert who were trying to illegally cross the country’s northern border into neighbouring Algeria, security sources said Monday.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said the arrests, which took place on Saturday, concerned 122 women and children found in a single truck. Local media said 150 people had been arrested.
An estimated 100,000 people passed through Agadez last year, a city in the centre of the West African state and a major hub for sub-Saharan migrants aiming to reach North Africa and Europe. Authorities believe more will come through this year.