Niamey – On 27 June, 25 journalists from Nigerien media gathered for a workshop on migration reporting organised by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Maison de la Presse of in Niger (House of the Media) and the Association Carta di Roma. 

Niger shares a border of nearly 5,700 kilometres with neighbouring Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya Mali and Nigeria. With its vast and porous land borders, it is an origin, transit, and destination country for thousands of migrants. Additionally, the country is experiencing a multicrisis linked to the security situation at its borders, with an estimated 655,000 forcibly displaced (according to OCHA).

"The media play a fundamental role in the public debate and perception of migration and migrants. However, given the complexity of the migration dynamics, local media require tools and guidance to navigate migration coverage and carry the voices of migrants while preserving their dignity," says Barbara Rijks, IOM's Chief of Mission in Niger.

During the training, participants were provided with a factual overview of the migration situation in Niger and West and Central Africa, migrants' profiles, and national, regional, and international migration challenges. They were also familiarized with IOM's programmes that support vulnerable migrants and communities in Niger. The training included as well an in-depth study of migration terminology and the legal implications of each term in use to avoid stigmatisation of migrants.

At the end of the training, participants expressed their will to sustain the impact of the training and proposed actions to be taken to improve media coverage of migration in Niger. They committed themselves to joining and reviving the journalist network on migration set up by the Maison de la Presse and effectively sharing and verifying information on migration. They also emphasized the need to combat fake news by verifying information during their research for an article and by crossing sources for publication. Finally, they stressed the importance of highlighting the benefits of migration in their articles and not focusing primarily on the situation of migrants in distress.

In July 2022, IOM Niger will launch the first edition of the reporting migration competition in Niger. This competition will encourage quality reporting on migration and investigative journalism.

The training was organised through the Aware Migrants project, an awareness-raising campaign on the risks of irregular migration, funded by the Italian Ministry of the Interior.

For more information, please contact Aïssatou SY, Public Information Officer, Tel: +227 8006 6531, aisy@iom.int