'They are suffering': The plight of migrants stuck in Niger after coup
Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/France24_en
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 I am going to my place that I live.
00:01 Peter Touré comes from Sierra Leone.
00:04 He had dreams of crossing Niger to reach Libya
00:07 and ultimately Europe.
00:09 But now he's stuck in Niamey, his plans on hold.
00:13 Their location to sleep, to rest their life, look at that.
00:15 When he's going inside there, they are suffering,
00:17 they are suffering a lot of, you see the holes that are making.
00:20 Because look at the place, it's very difficult for us.
00:23 When Peter first arrived in Niger,
00:25 he thought he could make some money
00:27 before continuing his journey.
00:29 But that was before July's military coup.
00:31 With the borders closed and ECWA sanctions biting hard,
00:34 the cost of travelling across the country has skyrocketed.
00:39 Now I have no money to go anywhere.
00:42 So I came here and lodged in this place to save my life.
00:45 But even when I stay here, no money, no job, no nothing.
00:49 With my family, with everybody there.
00:51 Every year, tens of thousands of migrants
00:54 pass through Niger with hopes of later crossing the Mediterranean.
00:57 But on the way, they become easy targets
01:00 for human traffickers and other criminal networks.
01:03 People who decide to travel to North Africa,
01:08 aiming to reach Europe,
01:10 have been taking more and more risks lately.
01:13 The current situation makes us rely heavily
01:15 on our defence and security forces,
01:18 and it could lead to the desert being abandoned.
01:22 We're already dealing with counter-terrorism efforts,
01:25 and now there is the possibility of a military intervention.
01:28 This means that there are many challenges facing the authorities.
01:33 The political crisis in Niger has also severely hindered
01:36 the delivery of humanitarian aid within the country,
01:39 help that provides crucial support to migrants,
01:42 internally displaced people and refugees.