Niger's Military Government Repeals Anti-Migration Law

Move seen as defiance of international pressure and an attempt to regain local support

Niger's military government has repealed a 2015 law that criminalized the smuggling of migrants through the country to Europe.
The law was enacted in response to the influx of migrants traveling across the Mediterranean Sea from Africa, creating a political and humanitarian crisis in Europe.
The repeal of the law is seen as a move by the junta to regain local support and assert its authority over the country's sovereignty, in defiance of international pressure.
The law had significantly reduced the number of migrants moving through Niger, a main transit country on the southern fringe of the Sahara Desert, but it also negatively impacted local economies that had relied on the migrant traffic.
The repeal of the law has been welcomed by some locals who had previously benefited from the migrant traffic, but it is unclear how European leaders will respond to the move.