Europe Braces for Onslaught of Illegals as Niger, Backed by Russia, Reopens Migration Routes in Hopes of Destabilizing the Continent

The African country Niger played a significant role in helping Europe limit the influx of migrants through the Sahara and across the Mediterranean since 2015. However, the local military junta has now repealed the corresponding law, paving the way for increased African mass migration.

In the West African nation of Niger, the smuggling of migrants is set to remain unpunished. The military junta of the country revoked a relevant law at the end of last week, as announced on state-owned Nigerien television. The 2015 law had prohibited the transportation of migrants through Niger, and it was enacted at the request of the EU. In return, Brussels allocated approximately 75 million euros for projects aimed at curbing migration. This move by the EU helped alleviate migration pressure on its borders during the 2015/2016 migration crisis.

In July, a military coup in Niger ousted the EU-friendly government. After Western allies condemned the coup, the junta sought domestic support, including from the desert communities in the north, which had benefited the most from migration. They, for example, sold fuel to smugglers. Migration is also a business in the country’s major cities, such as Agadez, where the supply and accommodation of migrants constitute a thriving industry. This industry is likely to flourish again due to the lifted law. The spokesperson for the coup government triumphantly declares, “This law has been repealed! The EU can continue to gesture as much as it wants!”

With the end of the restrictive anti-migration policy in Niger, the number of migrants traveling to Europe is expected to rise again. Ulf Laessing, who works for the CDU-affiliated Konrad Adenauer Foundation in the Sahel region, asserts, “Now, Europe is facing a nightmare scenario.” He predicts a significant increase in migration through Niger to Libya. Laessing believes that migration is also being used as a weapon against Europe.

“Russia, similar to its actions in Mali and Burkina Faso, actively seeks the favor of the new rulers and exploits Europe’s hesitation. Moscow is likely to encourage the junta to allow more migration through Niger towards the Mediterranean coast, aiming to destabilize Europe,” Laessing continues. Before the migration pact between the EU and Niger, approximately 300,000 migrants traveled through the country on their way to Europe.

Source Apollo News