Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the accuracy of reports from the International Organisation for Migration that large numbers of refugees and migrants have entered Niger from Mali, Nigeria and elsewhere; if so, how many are registered with the UN; and what assistance the UK is offering to any such refugees.

We broadly agree with reports from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM): escalating violence in the Diffa region of Niger has triggered the displacement of 18,000 people in recent weeks. However, we would note that IOM does not capture the total flows of people passing along migratory routes.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that Niger is home to one of the largest populations of refugees across the countries of the Sahel (174,767 people), including 55,496 people displaced by the conflict in Mali and 118,868 from Nigeria.

In 2019, the UK is providing £13.16 million to Niger via the World Food Programme, UNICEF and ICRC to provide food, respond to severe acute malnutrition, and provide protection to conflict-affected people.