On the Border

The desert city of Agadez in Niger has been a hub of trade routes since time immemorial. The local Tuareg population always earned a good living by transporting goods and people across the Sahara. But Agadez is also a place where migrants pass through on their way to Europe.

Niger has been in direct talks with the European Union about this since 2012. The result is a law that criminalizes illegal migration and has made Agadez a High Risk Area, with catastrophic consequences for the local economy. The ban on transport led to unemployment, higher crime and a drug epidemic.

In On the Border, three residents of Agadez talk about the decline of their city. Salesman Ahmed Dizzi looks back with nostalgia to a time when large numbers of European tourists used to visit the historic city and spend a lot of money. Radio reporter Tilla Amadou questions the effectiveness of European training programs for border guards. And former mayor Rhissa Feltou argues that the new border controls are a threat to the traditional nomadic existence of the Tuareg.