6,988 foreigners detained in Algerian prisons

A total of 1,415 foreigners were put in jail over the year 2007 including 384 during the first quarter of the year 2008, most of them Africans involved in illegal immigration, contraband, drug trafficking, prostitution and terrorism.

• Security reports reveal that some 6,988 foreigners were arrested over the year 2007, 1,415 of them were put in jail after trial. The number of arrests has increased in comparison with the year 2006 which saw 6,178 arrests.
• Most of the prisoners are concentrated in the Western institutions such as Telemcen, Ain Temouchent, Oran and the southern towns of Ghardaia and Tamanrasset for being involved in illegal immigration and contraband.
• Niger takes the lead of the nationalities with 42% of the total number of the arrested foreigners than comes others from; Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Liberia, Burkinafasso, the democratic Congo, Chad, Senegal, Congo, togo, Sierra Leone, Gambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Gabon, Uganda, Sudan and Benin.
• Other foreigners were put in prisons from North African countries like , Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania in addition to European nations such as Switzerland, France and Belgium. Eastern countries are among the various nationalities found in Algerian prisons including Turkish, Egyptians, Syrians, Palestinians, Iraqis, Saudis and Chinese ones.
• On of the cases reported by the national gendarmerie is linked to a Chinese national who works in the Group “STIC”. This one used the Algerian flag, found on spot, to clean his shoes whereas another one has simply stepped on the flag in the region of Ghazaouet (west of Algeria).