Algeria Deports Hundreds of Migrants to Niger
Algeria has rounded up hundreds of migrants from West African countries and deported many of them to Niger.
At least 1,000 migrants were driven across the border last week, the International Organization for Migration said.
While Algeria regularly returns people from Niger to their country, the new deportation effort also includes migrants from across the region, including Mali and Guinea Conakry, officials told Reuters.
Human Rights Watch warned that Algerian officials were not checking whether migrants have refugee status before returning them to Niger.
“A mass and summary deportation of migrants, including men and women who may have fled persecution or have worked for years in Algeria, would violate their rights,” the group’s Middle East and North Africa director Sarah Leah Whitson said.
The organization said more than 1,400 migrants have been forcibly rounded up in Algeria since the beginning of the month.
More Than 400 People Cross Fence Into Spanish Enclave
In one of the biggest mass crossings in recent years, around 800 people surged across a border fence separating Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, and around half made it through to Spanish territory.
Spanish officials said 438 people made it into Ceuta on December 9, and 49 were injured in the attempt.
Migrants from Africa and the Middle East have increasingly tried to reach European soil via Morocco, which has borders with two Spanish enclaves – Ceuta and Melilla.
Many hope to claim asylum in Europe, but rights groups say they are often detained in poor conditions for extended periods in the enclaves.
A small number of migrants also try to reach the enclaves or mainland Spain via boat – last week, four African migrants drowned and 34 were rescued when their boat sank off the coast of Morocco.
South Sudan Expels Norwegian Refugee Council Country Director
South Sudan has expelled the country director of the Norwegian Refugee Council after holding him in detention for 24 hours.
Security officials detained Victor Moses at the organization’s offices in Juba on December 8 and deported him to Kenya a day later. The government has yet to comment on the incident.
South Sudan’s civil war has escalated since a peace deal collapsed in July, prompting thousands to flee the country. The government has cracked down on journalists and civil society, and last week deported Associated Press reporter Justin Lynch.
“The expulsion of our country director is a serious setback to our humanitarian work for civilians in dire need of support,” NRC secretary general Jan Egeland said in a statement. “The government should prioritize to bring an end to the violence that has displaced more than 3 million of its citizens – 1 million of whom are now refugees in neighbouring countries.”
Recommended Reads:
- Foreign Affairs: Lost in Migration
- The New York Times: In Italy, One Man Begs for Asylum. Another Man Must Decide
- The London Review of Books: The Best Hotel in Europe
- Quartz: More People Are Being Displaced From Their Homes by Environmental Change in Africa Than We Thought
- The Guardian: Home Office Stops Transfer of Calais Child Refugees to U.K.