Facts and Figures

IOM Member State since 2004 Capital: Niamey Population (2011): 16.1 million Area: 1,267,000 km sq Language: French Currency: Communauté financière africaine franc (XOF) GDP per Capita PPP (2010): USD 728 HDI Rank (2011): 186 of 187 Remittances (2011 estimate): USD 88 million Net Migration Rate (2010-2015): -0.3 migrants /1,000 population Immigrants (2010): 1.3% Women as a Percentage of Immigrants (2010): 53.9% Population under 15 (2011): 49% Adult HIV Prevalence (2009): 1%

Additional Resources Migration au Niger: Profil National 2009 International Migration Law Database National Instruments: Niger Sources and Definitions

Latest News

• IOM, Partners Relocate Displaced Malians from Niger's South-western Border
• IOM to Relocate Families Fleeing Violence in Mali
• Centres in Niger Provide Humanitarian Assistance to Stranded Migrants
• Migration Profile Highlights the Need for Improved Migration Statistics in Niger

Overview

IOM's initiatives in Niger focus on technical cooperation between governments, the return and sustainable reintegration of migrants, and research as a strategic tool in formulating policies for migration management.

Regulating Migration

Across Sahara II. Based on their previous successful cooperation, Italy, Libya, Niger and IOM shave renewed their collaboration on migration management, border control and prevention of irregular migration. The project “Across Sahara II” seeks to prevent and fight irregular migration, smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings, and to improve search and rescue operations in Libya and Niger by enhancing transnational dialogue and concrete activities on transit migration and border management.

Reintegration Facility for Mali, Niger and Ghana, Phase 2. Since 2007 and in line with the declaration of the Rabat Plan of Action on Migration and Development, which pioneered revenue-generating reintegration projects as an approach to retaining potential migrants in their countries of origin, the Italian government has been supporting the realization of pilot reintegration projects in the sub-Saharan countries of Niger, Mali and Ghana, with satisfactory results.

The project "Reintegration Facility for Mali, Niger and Ghana, Phase 2" continues to foster sustainable reintegration of migrants returning from Libya to Mali, Niger and Ghana. This will be achieved by collecting and disseminating reliable and up-to-date information on reintegration opportunities in the targeted countries and by supporting up to 304 reintegration initiatives. The follow-up mechanisms developed during 2008 will continue to be used to monitor returnees' initiatives and to fine-tune reintegration assistance with the support of local partners in each country.

Pilot Project for the Reception and Assistance of Migrants in the Region of Agadez (Niger). Because of its geographical location, a country hinged between sub-Saharan Africa and the Maghreb, Niger has become a transit country. An increasing number of migrants transit through Niger from other West and Central African countries to seek easy access to Europe, and the majority of these migrants turn back or are expulsed from the Maghreb region (Libya and Algeria) to Niger. This project aims at improving the local capacity in humanitarian assistance to migrants in transit in Niger and to migrants who turn back or are expelled from the Maghreb region, particularly from Libya and Algeria to the region of Agadez through:

• The creation of two transit and assistance centres respectively in the Region of Agadez (Dirkou and Assamaka) along the migrants' routes with basic structures and services available for the migrants.
• Specific reintegration programmes (small-scale business) that will assist 300 vulnerable migrants from Niger.

Regional Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme for Stranded Migrants in Libya and Morocco and countries of origin (special focus on Mali and Niger). The programme seeks to contribute to:

• Increase inter-regional cooperation and the adoption of joint and systemic initiatives between origin, transit and destination countries in managing irregular migratory flows.
• Strengthen local capacities to support sustainable reintegration of returnees in origin countries.
• Reinforce national capacities of transit countries (Libya-Morocco) in addressing the challenges posed by irregular migration through the implementation of humane return measures.
• Enhance the protection of human rights of migrants in origin and transit countries.

Two thousand irregular migrants stranded in Libya and Morocco will be assisted in their voluntary return and reintegration into their countries of origin, through reinforced capacities of the transit (Libya and Morocco) and origin countries (Mali and Niger in particular).

Programme of Assistance for the Return and Reintegration of Trafficked Children in West Africa. Since 2006, IOM has implemented a Programme of Assistance for the Return and Reintegration of Trafficked Children in West Africa, funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the US Department of State. This programme has led to the protection and support of over 250 rescued child victims of trafficking throughout West Africa, including accommodation in shelters, provision of medical and psychosocial assistance, and voluntary return and reintegration assistance. The programme has also included a capacity building component, namely the training of relevant government officials and service delivery organizations aiming to enable them to assess, evaluate and improve their responses to child trafficking in general and the protection of child victims in particular. The use of best practices and international standards has been emphasized, as has the need for international cooperation.

This programme aims to continue contributing to strengthening the capacity of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) government agencies and civil society to protect children victims of trafficking in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, in line with the 2001 ECOWAS Declaration and Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons, and the Joint Plan of Action of ECOWAS/ECCAS (Economic Community of Central African States) and a Multilateral Cooperation Agreement in 2006. The specific objectives of the programme are:

• To enhance the capacity of government agencies and NGOs in the ECOWAS region through targeted technical assistance and training to identify victims and provide direct assistance.
• To provide support for the voluntary return and reintegration of 100 children victims of trafficking stranded in West Africa without means and access to existing programmes.

The programme targets 100 stranded male and female trafficked children, from or within ECOWAS Member States, who cannot benefit from existing and viable voluntary return and reintegration programmes offered either by governments, IOM or other agencies.

Projects

• Across Sahara II - Regional Cooperation and Capacity Building on Border and Migration Management
• Reintegration Facility for Mali, Niger and Ghana, Phase 2
• Pilot project for the reception and assistance of migrants in the Region of Agadez (Niger)
• Regional Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme for Stranded Migrants in Libya and Morocco
• Programme of Assistance for the Return and Reintegration of Trafficked Children in West Africa

Migration Policy and Research

Migration Profiles in Selected Countries in West and Central Africa. A key challenge facing governments in West and Central Africa is how to manage the rapid growth of regular and irregular migration within and throughout the region and its impact on development. This project aims to strengthen the capacity of national administrations to collect and analyze relevant migration data and propose measures to bridge gaps in data and statistics in West and Central Africa. In this connection, it will aim to improve the utilization of migration data and policy analysis for strategic policy planning by preparing systematic national migration profiles within and between selected countries in the region. It will also seek to enhance the capacity of governments and regional organizations in order to promote a comprehensive and coherent policy approach to migration, and to develop specific indicators and a training toolkit for developing national and regional strategies, including the Country Strategy Papers and Poverty Reduction Strategic Papers, of the countries concerned.

Project

• Migration Profiles in Selected Countries in West and Central Africa - A Tool for Strategic Policy

Upcoming Initiatives

Migration and Development

Pilot Project: Profiling of the Nigerian Abroad. At the request of the government of Niger, IOM will develop and submit a proposal to the 1035 Facility. Its aim will be to strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of the Government of Niger for a better utilization of human, technical and financial resources of Niger expatriates.

Technical Cooperation

Pilot Project: Capacity Building in Border Management in Niger. IOM is developing a project that will provide technical support to improve border management in Niger by installing a Personal Identification and Registration System (PIRS) at Niamey international airport. PIRS enables immigration services to collect automatically data of travelers entering or exiting through a border point and supports also migration information management, data collection, processing and dissemination. IOM experts will deliver a series of training on document fraud and supply immigration officers with handheld equipment and passport examination procedure manuals for fraud detection.

Last updated:
Main text: April 2009
Facts and figures: May 2012