In one of the largest mass expulsions recorded in recent years, Algerian authorities deported 1,845 migrants without legal status to the remote Assamaka border zone in northern Niger on April 19, according to Alarmphone Sahara, a Niger-based migrant rights group. The migrants—rounded up from various Algerian cities—were left at “Point Zero,” a desolate desert outpost near the border, with minimal shelter or assistance. The latest operation pushes the total number of expelled migrants arriving in Assamaka this month to over 4,000, said Abdou Aziz Chehou, the organization’s national coordinator. Chehou warned that many of the deported individuals may attempt to re-enter Algeria, adding to the regional instability caused by mass migration and weak border controls.
The mass deportations occur amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Algeria and several Sahelian nations, including Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso—all now governed by military juntas that overthrew pro-Algerian civilian governments. Earlier this month, the three nations withdrew their ambassadors from Algiers amid disagreements over border security and migration policy.
Algeria, traditionally a major transit hub for sub-Saharan migrants seeking to reach Europe, has stepped up expulsions as EU-backed patrols have made sea crossings increasingly difficult. With tightening borders and limited access to legal migration channels, tens of thousands remain stranded in transit countries under harsh conditions. Alarmphone Sahara reported that over 30,000 migrants were expelled from Algeria in 2024 alone, often under conditions that violate international humanitarian standards.
Rights groups argue that Algeria’s deportation practices violate a 2014 bilateral agreement, which permits the repatriation only of Nigerien nationals, not third-country migrants. However, the expelled include individuals from countries such as Guinea, Sudan, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Both Algerian and Nigerien authorities have remained silent on the latest expulsions, and Algerian media rarely report on such operations. International organizations have previously condemned these desert pushbacks as inhumane, citing the lack of water, medical care, and shelter in the Saharan expulsion zones.
The Assamaka transit center, which is operated with limited support from humanitarian organizations, is overwhelmed, with few resources to support thousands of new arrivals each month. Observers say that unless regional cooperation and international migration frameworks are reinforced, such mass expulsions are likely to continue—placing migrants’ lives at risk and deepening political divisions across North and West Africa.
