Over 1,000 migrants expelled from Algeria to Niger in a single day, NGO reports

Alarme Phone Sahara (APS), a humanitarian organization that operates a hotline for migrants in distress, reports that Algeria expelled 1,141 migrants to northern Niger on Saturday, according to InfoMigrants.

The expelled individuals were primarily from sub-Saharan African countries, though the group also included migrants from Bangladesh. Among them were 41 women and 12 children, who were allegedly abandoned in the desert at a remote location known as “Point Zero,” approximately nine miles from the Nigerien border town of Assamaka.

APS claims the migrants were left in the harsh desert environment without access to basic necessities such as food, water, or shelter from the extreme heat.

Since early April, APS estimates that Algeria has expelled around 4,000 migrants to this isolated area. While international and regional NGOs attempt to support these migrants by providing food, shelter, and assistance with voluntary repatriation once they reach Assamaka, some reportedly die during the trek across the desert.

In response, humanitarian groups have been using tricycles to reach Point Zero in an effort to rescue migrants as soon as word arrives that a new group has been left behind.

Some NGOs have also raised concerns that a number of the expelled migrants possessed valid work and residency permits in Algeria, but were still targeted in police raids—an action they say violates international law.

According to a report by Yabiladi, Algeria deported approximately 30,000 migrants in 2024. Notably, migrants from Mali’s Tuareg community have reportedly been exempt from expulsion for political reasons, as Algeria backs the armed Azawad movement opposing Mali’s current government, which came to power following a coup.