Niger - IOM is seeking to strengthen the capacity of the Niger government to efficiently manage its international borders and migratory flows transiting the country amid volatile security in the Sahel region.

The European Union (EU)’s Instrument for Stability and Peace (CPSI) has allocated over EUR 3 million to launch parallel and coordinated IOM actions in the north and the south of the country to achieve this and to ensure the safety and well-being of migrants and local communities in Diffa and Agadez.

On the southern border between Niger, Chad and Nigeria, the Security Diffa Niger (SEDINI) project is addressing the urgent need to secure borders as places for trade and circulation, and to ensure the protection of local cross-border communities.

This southern rural area of Niger, already vulnerable to food insecurity, climate hazards and youth unemployment, has been severely affected since 2014 by the conflict in Northern Nigeria and violent incursions by the extremist group Boko Haram.

The 18-month SEDINI project will focus on the rehabilitation and re-equipment of border posts, and activities that will involve up to 600 youth at-risk in the region. Specific expert trainings will further reinforce border management skills at central and regional levels.

In the north, the 12-month Agadez Migration (AGAMI) project will enhance IOM assistance to stranded migrants through the existing network of transit and protection centers. The region is a major migration crossroads between West and Central Africa, North Africa and Europe.

The flow of vulnerable migrants going to or returning from the Maghreb (over 100,000 people a year), coupled with the increasing presence of transregional networks dedicated to illicit activities, and the presence of extremist armed groups, represent a potential security threat in the region.

IOM Niger, through the support of the European Union, will strengthen Niger’s operational and strategic migration management capacity in both regions.

“In the South, effective border management is the key to ensure safety and the protection of cross-border populations. In the North, IOM seeks to address the root causes of irregular migration through the development of initiatives for vulnerable migrants and their home communities,” said IOM Niger Chief of Mission Giuseppe Loprete.

All activities will be implemented in close collaboration with regional authorities and other partners, including the High Authority for the Consolidation of Peace (HACP), the Ministry of Interior, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), UNDP, UNHCR, the EUCAP Sahel Mission, NGOs and local communities.

For further information, please contact Giuseppe Loprete at IOM Niger, Tel: +227.980 543 31, Email gloprete@iom.int