Nigerien authorities found at least six charred corpses of migrants who were burned inside their car near the Madama military border point, in the north-east of the country on the Libyan border.

Niger's army announced in a statement, reported by local media, that the tragedy occurred at the end of last week about eight kilometers away from the border.

A rescue mission was sent to the location after receiving reports, leading to the discovery of the six charred bodies along with 10 other migrants who were still alive but whose car was about to catch fire, according to the army.

The statement did not specify the nationality of the victims, but for several years, this northeastern part of Niger bordering Libya has become a very common transit point for migrants from several countries in West and Central Africa in their attempts to reach Europe.

Migration Through Niger

A 2015 law was passed in Niger to criminalize illegal migration under the auspices of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and with financial support from Italy and Denmark.

The law has made the transportation and harboring of migrants illegal, forcing brokers and traffickers to avoid the threat of severe penalties and imprisonment.

The traffickers now take longer and more isolated routes according to the Border Forensic Agency based in Geneva, Switzerland.

The agency, a non-governmental body, uses spatial analysis methods to investigate cross-border violence and reported migrants who cross the desert to reach Libya face an increased risk of death since 2015.