Abdullahi Mire, a former Somali refugee awarded by the UN

A former Somali refugee who helped bring 100,000 pounds to children exiled in camps in Kenya won the prestigious Nansen Prize from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Tuesday.

At 36, Abdullahi Mire offered, through his organization, the Refugee Youth Education Hub, education to many of his fellow refugees in the immense Dadaab complex, in eastern Kenya, where he lived as a child.

“A book can change someone’s future,” he said in an interview with AFP, ensuring that “every displaced child has the opportunity to educate themselves.”

He is “living proof that transformative ideas can be born within displaced communities,” assured the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, in a press release.

Born in Somalia, his family fled to Kenya when he was a young child.

He spent 23 years in Dadaab. This sprawling complex, built in the 1990s near Somalia, was supposed to accommodate some 90,000 refugees, but now houses around 370,000, according to the UN.

“Monumental obstacles”

Despite "monumental obstacles", Mr Mire not only completed his primary and secondary education in the camp, but also managed to obtain a degree in journalism and public relations, UNHCR says.

He himself admits that his “case is rare”, but “it encourages me to return the favor”.

Mr. Mire, who sometimes worked for the AFP, was able to be resettled in Norway around ten years ago. But although he loved living there, he quickly decided to return to Kenya.

“Europe is beautiful and safe, but it all depends on what you want in life,” he told AFP by telephone from Nairobi.

“Something told me I could have an impact here, more than in Oslo.”

Back in Kenya, while reporting in Dadaab, a young girl named Hodan Bashir Ali asked him for help finding a biology book. She wanted to become a doctor, Mr. Mire explains, but at her school there was only one textbook for every 15 students.

“That was the beginning of my calling,” he says, adding that he bought the book for Hodan, who is now a nurse and still aspires to become a doctor.

Books are gateways

Mr. Mire then decided to create the Refugee Youth Education Hub, to raise awareness of the educational needs of refugees and to find book donations. The organization, run by refugees, has so far been able to deliver 100,000 books to the camps and has opened three libraries.

“When you read a book, it’s like you’re traveling around the world,” he explains.

And for people traumatized by violence and war, “books are the best way to heal,” he assures.

The program also helped increase the number of refugees enrolled in higher education.

“I know dozens of girls who wanted to become teachers and who are today,” rejoices Mr. Mire, according to whom “books give the opportunity to dream and think about a career, about how to become a better citizen of this world.

The Nansen Award, named after Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian explorer and diplomat and first High Commissioner for Refugees, was established in 1954. Since 1979, Nansen winners have received an award, which currently amounts to $100,000 (approximately 91,400 euros). ).

Last year, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel received the prize for her determination to welcome asylum seekers while in office.

“I am not a philanthropist, I am not rich, ... but I believe that everyone can make a difference,” assures Mr. Mire, who will receive his award during a ceremony in Geneva on December 13.

“You don’t have to be a politician, celebrity or mogul to make an impact. Everyone can have a role to play in improving people’s lives.”

Libya returns nearly 250 illegal migrants to Chad and Niger

Libyan authorities returned nearly 250 irregular Chadian and Nigerien migrants to their countries of origin on Tuesday, as part of coordination between rival Libyan regions.

Moussa al-Koni, vice-president of the Libyan Presidential Council, indicated during a press conference that "departure and transit countries must cooperate with destination countries" to confront "criminal networks of traffickers between Libya, Chad and Niger.

“We have all paid a high price because of these groups who try to take advantage of nationals from Niger and Chad, but also from more distant countries in Africa and Asia to smuggle them to Europe” he said. he declares.

Plunged into chaos since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011 and divided between rival authorities from the east and the west, Libya has become a hub for tens of thousands of migrants seeking to reach Europe by Wed. They often fall into the hands of criminal groups who sequester them to extract money from them in return for their freedom. 

A total of 120 Nigeriens were repatriated on a flight from Tripoli to Niamey in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), according to a source from the Body to Combat Illegal Migration.

Furthermore, 128 Chadians will be transported to the border between Libya and Chad by road in coordination with the authorities in the east of the country, according to the Fighting Body attached to the Ministry of the Interior and responsible for pilot these coordinated operations between the west, east and south.