The city of Agadez, located in the heart of the Sahara, is under immense pressure. Every week, trucks arriving from Algeria drop off groups of migrants in Assamaka, Niger including pregnant women, infants and disorientated teenagers. The International Organisation for Migrants (IOM) transit centres, which were designed for short-term rest, have suspended operations due to a lack of beds. This is the daily reality of northern Niger, under strain from two simultaneous issues: deportations from Algeria and returns from Libya. In this sandy corridor, the humanitarian emergency collides with depleted budgets, while children roam the streets, undocumented and with an uncertain future. Behind the statistics lies a piercing question: how many more nights will it be before a space opens up or tragedy strikes? For now, Agadez can do nothing but watch as this human hourglass empties out at the border.

The small border town of Assamaka, in northern Niger, is now at the centre of a quiet crisis. New groups of migrants, with a high proportion of women and children, arrive there every week following successive expulsions from Algeria. The IOM-run reception centres are full, and families are left to camp on the streets for lack of space.

“I’ve just been told that there are more than 150 women and children outside because the centre is full,” reports Azizou Chefou, coordinator of Alarm Phone Sahara (APS). He receives this information in real time, right in the middle of an interview, which confirms the extent of the overcrowding. For the humanitarian workers on the ground, scenes like this have become the norm. The number of arrivals far exceeds the shelter’s capacity.

The increase in numbers is primarily due to the pace of deportations from Algeria. Algerian security forces drop migrants on the Nigerien side with each convoy, without any prior screening. The transit centres, which were originally built for short stays, have become places of prolonged waiting. Adding to this pressure is a flow of migrants coming from Libya, which APS has identified as the second major factor. Mass returns continue, while humanitarian resources in the region remain limited. Only a few organisations, including the IOM and APS, maintain a consistent presence.

The situation of children among the new arrivals is the most critical. According to a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) report cited by APS, around 700 migrant children in the Agadez region require assistance. These children fall into two categories: accompanied and unaccompanied. Local authorities in Assamaka or Bilma systematically register those in the former category who are coming from Libya, before referring them to IOM-managed health services . Despite this initial care, accounts collected by APS reveal disturbing realities. “These children are exploited by their own parents or family friends for begging in Algeria,” laments Dr Chefou. The child, sometimes very young, becomes a tool for the accompanying adult’s economic survival.

On the other hand, unaccompanied children are placed directly under the care of the Nigerien State. ‘The authorities will accompany the child until they are reunited with their parents or a family member,’ explains the APS coordinator. In practice, the regional and departmental authorities verify identity, locate biological family members and, if possible, reintegrate the child into their original environment. Though designed for protection, the process takes longer when the child has no documents or when the family cannot be found.

Material hardships compounded by stigmatisation

In the areas surrounding reception centres, these children and their mothers are often seen as a threat to local values. Derogatory remarks and, at times, acts of hostility increase the vulnerability of the youngest, who are already weakened by the journey of migration and forced expulsion. APS warns of this risk: “The hostility of the surrounding community can escalate and undermine the protection efforts authorities and NGOs  put in place ,” cautions the APS coordinator.

“Most children come from Niger and Nigeria”

These children primarily originate from Niger and nearby Nigeria. Some were taken to Algeria to beg, while others worked as domestic helpers in households. According to APS reports , several children were born along the migration route without birth certificates or a clearly defined nationality. This lack of civil status further complicates family reunification and access to education. “We must not turn a blind eye. The children mostly come from communities in Niger and neighbouring Nigeria. Some are taken out of school to embark on this journey with someone who is not their parent,” laments Azizou Chefou, who believes that “these parents must come to their senses and abandon this begging practice, which does nothing to secure their children’s future.”

For now, the humanitarian response remains focused on providing emergency assistance, such as meals, blankets and medical check-ups, as well as bus tickets to Agadez when possible. However, those on the ground emphasise that, though necessary, this aid is only a temporary solution. Without structural solutions, the cycle continues. “The trucks cross the border, unload their cargo of shattered lives and head back north. Assamaka absorbs the shock, and every evening counts the missing beds under a sky already heavy with new concerns,” helplessly says Azizou Chefou, a humanitarian worker.