Title page
Contents
Summary 4
01. Introduction 6
02. Becoming a 'migrant smuggling' hub 11
03. Repercussions of criminalization 26
04. Policy implications 43
About the author 46
Acknowledgments 46
Figure 1. Regional map of Niger 12
Figure 2. The securitization of Libya's market after 2011 15
Figure 3. The expansion of Agadez's mobility economy 17
Figure 4. The urban expansion of Agadez 18
Figure 5. Number of hectares cultivated in the Agadez region, 2010-22 19
Figure 6. Expansion of urban area in Agadez, Niger, between 2009 and 2020 21
Figure 7. The Impact of criminalization on the mobility economy of Agadez 29
Figure 8. Movement through the Toummo formal border crossing on the Libya-Niger border 31
Figure 9. Overview of three gold mining areas in Niger, namely Tchikabarten, Djado and Tabelot 35
Figure 10. The Djado Plateau gold mining site 36
Boxes
Box 1. The importance of people smuggling to local livelihoods in Agadez 19
Box 2. Movement through formal crossings on the Libya-Niger border 31