92 refugees left in Sahara Desert

NIAMEY: Authorities in Niger rescued 92 West African refugees last week abandoned by traffickers in the Sahara Desert as they tried to cross into neighbouring Libya.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said the impoverished country is a way station for migrants heading to Europe. Some experts claim more die in the desert than at sea.

The migrants, mostly Nigerian, were rescued by an IOM team and Nigerian soldiers, said the head of the IOM mission in Niger. They will be transferred to Agadez before being repatriated.

The IOM said the number crossing to Libya has declined since last year, due to a government crackdown. But many still take the risk.