Niger deports 42 Europe-bound Nigerians

About 42 Nigerians en route to Europe have been deported from the Republic of Niger. The deportees, who evaded immigration clearance when crossing the border into the Republic of Niger, are between 18 and 35, according to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

Twelve of the deportees have been sentenced by a Nigerian High Court in Katsina State for irregular entry into the Republic of Niger. The court ruled that the suspects either pay a fine of N50,000 (129 USD) or be kept in a correctional centre for three months, said Sunday James, the spokesperson of the NIS.

Niger is a major transit country for thousands of West African migrants attempting to reach Europe via land and sea. More than 2,000 Europe-bound migrants were recently stranded in Niger.

TMP_ 17/07/2020

Photo credit: Shutterstock/Katya Tsvetkova

Photo caption: Armed military officers in the desert of Niger-Libya border.