At least 35 migrants have died attempting the dangerous crossing of the Niger desert to Libya or Algeria on their way to Europe, a campaigning group said on Saturday.
“Based on our information, 35 to 40 migrants have died between January and August while crossing the desert,” Aziz Chehou of the Niger NGO Alarme Phone Sahara told AFP.
Among the tens of thousands of people hoping to reach the North Africa coast for smuggling boats to Europe, many die after being abandoned by smugglers or after their vehicles break down en route.
“After their vehicles break down, passengers who are already hungry and dehydrated try to keep going on foot over long distances in search of water they think is nearby,” Chehou said.
Thousands of others are stranded in the desert after being turned back by border police in Libya or Algeria.
Last year, Algeria expelled more than 31,000 migrants into Niger, according to Alarme Phone Sahara.
Niger, run by a military government for nearly two years, is concerned that the large numbers of expelled migrants could pose a domestic security problem.
Niger’s authorities have said that around 16,000 people have been expelled between January and June this year.
