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Niger: Population Flow Monitoring Dashboard #15 (September 2018)

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Niger
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IOM
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IOM works with national and local authorities and local partners to identify and understand migration movements in West and Central Africa. Flow monitoring is an activity that quantifies and qualifies flows, migrant profiles, trends and migration routes at a given point of entry, transit or exit. Since February 2016, IOM Niger has been monitoring migration flows at two points across Niger: Séguédine and Arlit. The data collected provides an overview of migration in the region. The information is collected from primary sources. However, this monitoring of migration flows does not replace border surveillance. Similarly, the results presented in this report do not reflect the total flow of migrants through the Agadez region due to the size of the Sahara Desert, which covers more than 700,000 km2 and has a large number of roads crisscrossing the region.

In addition to the 3 FMPs (Dan Barto, Magaria and Tahoua) activated in August, a new FMP was also set up in Niger (Dan Issa) in September. The aim was to better understand migration routes along the southern part of Niger and to complement the existing FMPs in Arlit and Séguédine. There are now three cross border FMPs (Dan Issa, Dan Barto and Magaria) on the border between Niger and Nigeria, which stretches over 1000 km. The FMP at Tahoua was set up to help understand internal movement flows as it is situated in central Niger, sharing a border with the Tillabery region in the east, Nigeria in the south and the Agadez region in the north.

The four new FMPs will be piloted in the coming months to understand the added value of the FMPs towards a more holistic understanding of migration trends in Niger. Based on the initial findings from the new FMPs, there may be adjustments made to the new FMPs based on an increased understanding of migration patterns and routes.

METHODOLOGY : Flow monitoring is an investigative work that aims to highlight and increase understanding of internal, cross-border and intraregional migration. Areas of high mobility are identified across the country. DTM teams then conduct assessments at the local level to identify strategic transit points. Enumerators collect data using key informants at the flow monitoring points; they may be staff at bus stations, police or customs officials, bus or truck drivers or migrants themselves. A basic questionnaire mixed with direct observations makes it possible to collect disaggregated data by sex and nationality. In Niger, the flow monitoring points were chosen after consultation with national and local stakeholders involved in migration management, and according to the locations and characteristics of the flows transiting through the Sahara Desert. The data collection is done at times when the flows are the most frequent.

LIMITS : The data used in this analysis including the maps is an estimate and represents only a part of the existing flows on the routes Agadez - Arlit – Assamaka; Agadez - Séguédine – Sebha; and southern routes. The spatial and temporal coverage of these surveys is partial, although the collection is done daily and during periods when flows are significant. Finally, no information is collected on existing flows outside the times covered. Vulnerability data is based on direct observations by the enumerators and should be understood only as an estimate.