By Martin Odiete
The Republic of Niger delegation at the ongoing 2019 Second Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament in Abuja has revealed that a total number 119,541 Nigerians are currently taking refuge within their territory, with about 40,000 them settling in the southern part of the country.
In addition to the Nigerians, the Niger Republic representatives lamented that several other refugees from other neighboring countries like Mali and Burkina Fasso have besieged the country, stressing further that the Agadez region, has received 2091 asylum seekers from Libya.
While presenting their paper on the floor of the parliament, the Niger representatives argued that the massive influx of the refugees was responsible for the growing insecurity in the various border areas, especially in the southern Niger (Maradi region).
In the report read by Honourable Sawani Karimou, the delegation recalled that the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) report that close to 442,449 asylum seekers, refugees, returned migrants and internally displaced persons were received in Niger as at October 20, 2019.
They maintained that, “The massive influx of refugees is imputable to the growing insecurity in the various border areas, especially in southern Niger (Maradi region), where more than 40,000 Nigerians have settled,”
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