Algeria set to deport “humanely” African refugees back home

The state Minister, Minister of the Interior and local assemblies, Tayeb Belaiz saidThursday in Algiers that Algeria has “humanely” treated the issue of displaced persons, evoking the projected repatriation of the displaced Niger refugees to their places of origin in accordance with the joint measures decided in conjunction with the Nigerian authorities.

Mr. Belaiz who responded to a question froma member of the National Popular Assembly (APN), at a plenary meeting devoted to the oral questions,on measurestaken by the Government to tackle the file of internally displaced African people, indicated that” Algeria had acted humanely in addressing  this thorny issue”.

“The practices and traditions of Algeria do not allow us to repatriate those displaced Africans by force”, added the Minister stating that “the majority of the displaced in Algeria are the Nigerians and it was agreed to embark on the the repatriation of the latter at the request of the Government of their own country”.

“The Government has taken several measures toensure the repatriation of thedisplaced Nigerians”, addedMr. Belaiz while pointing to  the creation in several provinces of the country of reception centres “providing for  all the necessary amenities”, pending their repatriation via the main Tamanrasset centre in southern Algeria which is endowed with 120 prefabricated houses and several health care units.