Niger’s military government abrogated the controversial Law 36-2015, as reported by Al Jazeera. The law criminalized transportation of migrants attempting to get to Europe from Agadez to Libya and Algeria. The government also expunged convictions handed out as a result of the law. The announcement effectively ended an eight-year security partnership between the European Union and Niger.
The “EU dangled billions of euros in front of Niger” to pass the law, but it forced “legitimate” but unwanted migration into the hands of black marketeers. “The EU went to Heaven and Earth to make sure that the law passed with the incentives. So, the repeal of that law blows everything in the air,” according to one analyst.
