Niger: Migration, Smuggling, and Rapid Population Growth | Sahara (3/3)

Watch all episodes of "Sahara" in our playlist: https://bit.ly/sahara_playlist

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For centuries, the frontier desert-city of Agadez was the starting point for travellers crossing the Sahara; the hub between West Africa and the Mediterranean, but the European migration panic has had a huge impact on Agadez. Under pressure from Brussels and in receipt of substantial payments, the government of Niger has adopted a law prohibiting the transport of migrants.
The law has left over 6000 smugglers unemployed. Their cars have been confiscated, many have been arrested, and most of the migrants in Agadez have been sent back to neighbouring countries of Algeria and Libya.

Today, Agadez is an angry city. The EU had promised alternative employment, but of the 6000 candidates, only 200 jobs materialised. The former smugglers blame their own bureaucrats who charged fees to assist them in filling in forms, but then sat back and did nothing.
Some of the smugglers have moved to the goldmines in the Sahara, indescribably difficult work in the 45 degree heat, and a far cry from their lucrative former employment. There is a volatile atmosphere in the streets of Agadez. Monday always used to be the day of departure for the smugglers. Can it be that the smugglers of Agadez have found a new way to circumvent the wishes to Europe and the blockades?
Meanwhile, no country in the world has a higher birth rate than Niger: an average of more than seven per woman. Demographers predict a catastrophe if the explosive growth in population is not curbed. Why do the many attempts from aid organizations to convince parents to practise birth control fail? The villagers feel abandoned by a failing state and trust no one but themselves. Lots of children means social security.
But there is also an ethical problem with outside interference. Many of the aid workers are not interested in the traditions of the village, so why would the people listen to them? There is another side to the story though and a growing youth population wont be silenced. The lessons they learned from their school books about the rule of law and democracy, they practise in their demonstrations against the government. The government has created its own opposition.

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Chapters
▷ 00:00 - Intro
▷ 02:58 - Acharoua
▷ 10:23 - Population explosion
▷ 15:12 - Strikes for a better future
▷ 17:38 - Agadez
▷ 30:08 - Migrant smugglers
▷ 39:48 - Only road through the Sahara
▷ 43:47 - Gold mines of Tabalot
▷ 49:31 - Credits

#documentary #niger #sahara #africa #migration

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For centuries colonialists have bypassed the Sahara. The largest sand desert on the planet was too hot and too impenetrable. Now, Europe seems to have shifted its southern border to the Sahara in order to stop migration and combat terrorism. How do the inhabitants of the Sahara feel about this interference? In Sahara, a new three episode series, Bram Vermeulen crosses the desert from west to east, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. He experiences the heat, the dangers of advancing jihadism, the desperation of migrants, the hidden world of slavery, uncovers human trafficking networks and he meets with locals in one of the most inhospitable places on earth.

Original title: Return to Niger - Sahara (3/3)
A film by David Kleijwegt & Erik van Empel
© 2018, Licensed by Sideways Film

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