Nigeria burdens Niger with needless refugees
Muhammadu Buhari, President, Nigeria |
The rise in violence in the north-west of Nigeria has forced an estimated 20,000 people to seek
safety and security in Niger since April.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is
concerned about the deteriorating security inside Nigeria, and is working
closely with authorities in Niger to provide basic assistance and register the
new arrivals. More than 18,000 people have already gone through the initial
registration process so far.
The latest upsurge in violence is
not linked to Boko Haram. People are reportedly fleeing due to multiple
reasons, including clashes between farmers and herders of different ethnic
groups, vigilantism, as well as kidnappings for ransom in Nigeria’s Sokoto and
Zamfara States.
People leaving Nigeria, and
arriving in Niger’s Maradi Region, speak of witnessing extreme violence
unleashed against civilians, including machete attacks, kidnappings and sexual
violence. The majority of the new arrivals are women and children.
The ongoing Boko Haram insurgency
has already spilled over into Niger, where it has affected its Diffa region
since 2015. The region currently hosts almost 250,000 displaced people –
including refugees from Nigeria and locals being displaced inside their own
country.
Niger continues to be a leading
regional example in providing safety to refugees fleeing conflict and
persecution in many countries. It has kept its borders open for refugees
despite the ongoing violence in several regions bordering Nigeria, Mali and
recently Burkina Faso.
Many of the newly arrived are
located very close to the Nigerian border, where there remains a high risk of
armed incursions. UNHCR with sister UN agencies and partners is discussing with
the government the possibility of relocating them into local towns and villages
further in land.
As well as providing aid to
Nigerian new arrivals, UNHCR also plans to support host families, who despite
lack of adequate resources and access to basic services, have always shown
solidarity towards the displaced and welcomed people into their homes.
Since the beginning of 2018,
violence within the Diffa region perpetrated by elements of Boko Haram has also
significantly escalated with a record number of civilian casualties and
unprecedented secondary movements within the region.
Niger is currently hosting over
380,000 refugees and asylum seekers from Mali and Nigeria as well as its own
internally displaced population. The country has also provided refuge to some
2,782 asylum seekers airlifted from insecurity in Libya, while awaiting durable
solutions.
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