NIGER TO CONTINUE WELCOME OF AFRICAN MIGRANTS

NIAMEY: Niger will continue to be a transit country for migrants, including those entering from neighbouring Libya, President Mahamadou Issoufou said Saturday. “We are a people open to hospitality, we are a generous people. We will welcome people who are in difficulty, who are in disarray. It is the tradition of our country,” President Issoufou said after meeting a UN delegation led by Deputy Secretary- General, Amina Mohamed. Libya has become a prime destination for African migrants trying to reach Europe, but it is also dangerous, with many migrants and refugees enduring enslavement, kidnapping, extortion and violence. Issoufou hailed “the good collaboration” with the European Union in the fight against illegal migration, but said the 1.8 billion euro fund set up by the EU for his country as “not enough”. Issoufou also noted the “good collaboration” with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR), which transports refugees stranded in Libya to Niamey while waiting for a host country.