Refugees in Agadez decry arbitrary arrest, detention, forced return of members by Nigerien authourities

Refugees In Niger has decried the  arbitrary arrest, detention, and forced return of its members from Agadez by Nigerien police.

The group raised the alarm in a statement made available to voiceforafricanmigrants.org

Refugees In Niger are refugees who have been abandoned in Agadez, Niger and are in need international protection, healthcare and education for their  children.

The statement reads: “Arbitrary detention and forced return of refugees from Agadez camp in Niger to an unknown destination In August 2025, Nigerien forces and police carried out arbitrary arrests of refugees who had fled the ongoing armed conflict in their country, due to their refugee status or their failure to sign local integration agreements.”

The group alleged that the Nigerien authorities detained three women and three men, the women being widows with children, in harsh and inhumane conditions, including placing them in cramped rooms, pending their forcible deportation to an unknown destination without giving them the opportunity to request or appeal deportation decisions.

 As the conflict in Sudan continues, most of the refugees in Agadez camp in Niger are Sudanese and remain vulnerable to arbitrary arrest, detention in harsh conditions, and forced return to an unknown destination.

However, the statement said “despite Niger’s dire human rights record, including abuses against refugees and migrants, the Niger authorities must immediately halt all detentions of refugees and facilitate the passage of those fleeing the hell of Agadez, where food supplies have been cut off, arbitrary arrests have taken place, and staff misconduct has been reported.

“UNHCR holds the detainees responsible, as they were the ones overseeing the detentions, to ensure their safety and dignity. The European Union and Italy must ensure that any agreement with Niger on border control and migration includes s`afeguards to protect human rights and conduct rigorous assessments of the human rights risks and impacts of any agreements.”