Niger Migration: EU Concerns Ease After Ban Lift

Niger Migration: EU Concerns Ease After Ban Lift

Niger’s leaders have overturned an EU-backed law. This law made it a crime to help migrants. Reuters says this policy change seems to have increased migrant flow. They used data from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Over 128,790 migrants left Niger in March [Source needed]. This is a 68% increase from March 2023. This suggests a big change in migration.

Initial Concerns and Expert Reactions to Niger’s Migration Policy

The price for smugglers to cross the desert from Niger to Libya has fallen. It was about $500 per person. Now it’s around $170 [Source needed]. The law’s reversal worried Europe. Some far-right parties predicted more illegal migrants. However, migration experts are more careful. Nine experts and groups focused on migration are cautious.

These experts say data on migrants reaching Europe via the Mediterranean doesn’t yet show an increase. They say numbers could rise later. But they warn against assuming a surge in migrants to Europe is from Niger’s policy change. The situation is complex. Many things affect migration. So, it’s hard to know the impact of one policy.

Factors Influencing Migration Patterns in Niger

The journey across the Sahara and Mediterranean is dangerous. It presents big challenges for migrants. Other things also affect migration in the area. These include political problems in other African countries, the economy, and actions by nearby countries. These can all change migration flows. More border control by Europe and North Africa also adds to the problem. These efforts may send migrants to other routes. Or they may stop them from traveling.

The IOM’s data suggests many African migrants stay in Africa. The IOM says 80% of African migrants stay in Africa [Source needed]. This is part of a long tradition of free movement for economic migrants. Libya and Tunisia have also increased efforts to stop migrants crossing the Mediterranean. They received EU money to do this. These actions make the situation harder and affect migrant flow towards Europe.

The Impact of the 2015 Law and its Reversal on Migration

The 2015 law had a big impact on migration via Niger. It showed that policy can affect migration. U.N. data says outgoing migrant flows fell a lot. They dropped by 79% between 2016 and 2017 [Source needed]. The number of migrants on the central Mediterranean route also fell. The number fell to 24,800 in 2018. This is 86% lower than the high of 181,459 in 2016. Most of those migrants had left from Libya.

After the Niger junta took power in July 2023, they overturned the EU deal. This was because the law was unpopular in northern Niger. The law hurt people who housed, fed, and transported migrants. Their incomes almost disappeared. The EU-backed law’s economic effects went beyond those helping migrants.

Local businesses also suffered. Restaurants and transportation services saw fewer customers. This economic trouble made people angry at the government and the EU. The junta used this to their advantage. They said reversing the law would help the region’s economy. This helped the junta get support from local communities who had benefited from migrant traffic.

Conclusion: Migration Trends After Niger Ban Lift

Niger’s ban lift has increased migrant departures. However, experts warn against assuming a surge of migrants will reach Europe. Many things affect migration. These include the journey’s dangers, political and economic conditions, and border control. The long-term effect of Niger’s policy change is unknown. We need to keep watching it to understand its impact on migration flows.