nder The Radar is a special series and newsletter offering from Diplomatic Courier bringing you compelling, under–the–radar stories from around the world over the past month. This month across the Middle East and North Africa: a concerning deportation by Libya, the abuse of Nigerian women in Iraq, and hiccups in development plans in Saudi Arabia. You can sign up to receive the newsletter here.
Libya’s dangerous recent deportation is the country’s largest to date
In January 2025, the International Organization for Migration confirmed that 613 Nigeriens arrived in Niger by trucks, deported by Libya. Although Libya has been deporting many migrant workers recently, deporting over 600 people marks a grim milestone. The passage across the Saharan desert is incredibly dangerous, especially in the winter amid freezing temperatures. Migrants are also tightly packed inside the trucks, often resulting in broken limbs from falling out of the trucks on the journey. The UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported that Libya’s means of deporting migrants do not always adhere to human rights standards, including when migrants are held in abusive detention centers.
This deportation comes as the EU has recently been accused of ignoring human rights violations in EU–funded migrant detention centers as Europe attempts to reduce the number of migrants to Europe. In 2017, the EU gave Libya €200 million to help with the country’s migrant crisis. Italy specifically decreased the number of migrants arriving after signing an agreement on migration control with Libya. The prime minister of Italy also traveled to Libya to further curb the number of migrants arriving on Italian shores. There have been continuous demands from global human rights groups for the EU to take measures to ensure human rights standards are upheld for migrants in countries like Libya, Tunisia, and Turkey.
Meanwhile, Libya’s Anti–Illegal Immigration Agency confirmed that more deportations of Nigerien nationals will continue to occur.
Nigerian women suffer inhumane abuse in Iraq
In a recent Al Jazeera exposé of a type of “modern–day slavery,” a couple of anonymous Nigerian women working as shagalas, or housekeepers, shared their horrifying experiences. One woman explained that she has been subjected to rape, an abortion, lack of medical care, and her employer has not paid her salary, leaving her unable to escape. Another woman endured a lack of sleep and regular torture with iron rods, tasers, and other forms of physical abuse. She was also not paid for her work until she managed to get the Directorate for Residence Affairs involved.
Agencies often in African countries solicit women, offering them a visa in exchange for working as a housekeeper, called shagalas, often in Arab countries. The women who try this kind of work often hope to receive better pay and trust that the agencies will provide them with better living conditions. Once the visas are processed, the agencies connect the women to agents in Iraq where they sign two–year contracts to do housework. Some agencies take to social media to advertise this kind of work. And there are some women on social media sites promoting working as shagalas.
Unfortunately, the treatment discussed in the Al Jazeera exposé appears commonplace. The contracts the women sign do not give them medical care or ensure humane treatment, but the exploited women are often from more rural areas and have not been educated on these dangers.
Saudi Arabia scales back development of megacity
Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 after receiving confirmation in December 2024. Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the World Cup is part of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan launched by the government. Another part of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan is the development of Neom, an ambitious megacity. Neom includes the Oxagon, an eight–sided city that will float on the Red Sea, Trojena, a futuristic ski–village, and The Line. The Line is set to be a zero–carbon city built in a 170–kilometer straight line. While hosting the World Cup and building Neom both align with the vision plan, Saudi Arabian officials have decided the development of Neom will have to be scaled back if the nation is to successfully host the World Cup in a little less than a decade.
The initial projected estimates for building Neom were around $500 billion, but more recent updates suggest that the completion of The Line alone could cost over $1 trillion. However, The Line will host the Neom Stadium, where Saudi Arabia plans to host the World Cup. Thus, reportedly, Saudi Arabia is prioritizing the 2.4–kilometer section of The Line that would house the stadium, aiming to complete it by 2034. Similarly, the government has announced plans to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games in Trojena, the yet–to–be–built ski village, making that section of Neom another top priority.
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Libya’s dangerous recent deportation is the country’s largest to date
February 10, 2025
Diplomatic Courier writer Stephanie Gull brings you three under–the–radar stories from the Middle East and North Africa: Libya’s deportations, abuse in Iraq, and Saudi Arabian development.
U
nder The Radar is a special series and newsletter offering from Diplomatic Courier bringing you compelling, under–the–radar stories from around the world over the past month. This month across the Middle East and North Africa: a concerning deportation by Libya, the abuse of Nigerian women in Iraq, and hiccups in development plans in Saudi Arabia. You can sign up to receive the newsletter here.
Libya’s dangerous recent deportation is the country’s largest to date
In January 2025, the International Organization for Migration confirmed that 613 Nigeriens arrived in Niger by trucks, deported by Libya. Although Libya has been deporting many migrant workers recently, deporting over 600 people marks a grim milestone. The passage across the Saharan desert is incredibly dangerous, especially in the winter amid freezing temperatures. Migrants are also tightly packed inside the trucks, often resulting in broken limbs from falling out of the trucks on the journey. The UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported that Libya’s means of deporting migrants do not always adhere to human rights standards, including when migrants are held in abusive detention centers.
This deportation comes as the EU has recently been accused of ignoring human rights violations in EU–funded migrant detention centers as Europe attempts to reduce the number of migrants to Europe. In 2017, the EU gave Libya €200 million to help with the country’s migrant crisis. Italy specifically decreased the number of migrants arriving after signing an agreement on migration control with Libya. The prime minister of Italy also traveled to Libya to further curb the number of migrants arriving on Italian shores. There have been continuous demands from global human rights groups for the EU to take measures to ensure human rights standards are upheld for migrants in countries like Libya, Tunisia, and Turkey.
Meanwhile, Libya’s Anti–Illegal Immigration Agency confirmed that more deportations of Nigerien nationals will continue to occur.
Nigerian women suffer inhumane abuse in Iraq
In a recent Al Jazeera exposé of a type of “modern–day slavery,” a couple of anonymous Nigerian women working as shagalas, or housekeepers, shared their horrifying experiences. One woman explained that she has been subjected to rape, an abortion, lack of medical care, and her employer has not paid her salary, leaving her unable to escape. Another woman endured a lack of sleep and regular torture with iron rods, tasers, and other forms of physical abuse. She was also not paid for her work until she managed to get the Directorate for Residence Affairs involved.
Agencies often in African countries solicit women, offering them a visa in exchange for working as a housekeeper, called shagalas, often in Arab countries. The women who try this kind of work often hope to receive better pay and trust that the agencies will provide them with better living conditions. Once the visas are processed, the agencies connect the women to agents in Iraq where they sign two–year contracts to do housework. Some agencies take to social media to advertise this kind of work. And there are some women on social media sites promoting working as shagalas.
Unfortunately, the treatment discussed in the Al Jazeera exposé appears commonplace. The contracts the women sign do not give them medical care or ensure humane treatment, but the exploited women are often from more rural areas and have not been educated on these dangers.
Saudi Arabia scales back development of megacity
Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 after receiving confirmation in December 2024. Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the World Cup is part of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan launched by the government. Another part of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan is the development of Neom, an ambitious megacity. Neom includes the Oxagon, an eight–sided city that will float on the Red Sea, Trojena, a futuristic ski–village, and The Line. The Line is set to be a zero–carbon city built in a 170–kilometer straight line. While hosting the World Cup and building Neom both align with the vision plan, Saudi Arabian officials have decided the development of Neom will have to be scaled back if the nation is to successfully host the World Cup in a little less than a decade.
The initial projected estimates for building Neom were around $500 billion, but more recent updates suggest that the completion of The Line alone could cost over $1 trillion. However, The Line will host the Neom Stadium, where Saudi Arabia plans to host the World Cup. Thus, reportedly, Saudi Arabia is prioritizing the 2.4–kilometer section of The Line that would house the stadium, aiming to complete it by 2034. Similarly, the government has announced plans to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games in Trojena, the yet–to–be–built ski village, making that section of Neom another top priority.
