Algerian MPs call upon the prime minister about immigration

A total of 20 deputies decided to interview the Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaiz Belkahdem about the “immigration” issue which, according to them, “was not taken seriously into account by the government despite the seriousness of the phenomenon “.

• The MPs called on the head of the government to reveal the coercive measures decided by the authorities against those who do business with young peoples in the name of immigration.
• In the questionnaire presented to the prime minister, this one has to answer several interrogations on the issue, including the position of the government towards this phenomenon and its consequences on the Algerian society as well as the means used by the authorities to eradicate this plight.
• In this respect, the deputies denounced the punitive measures implemented by the government to face the problem, but stressed the importance of using an iron hand against “the modern slave traders” who built an extraordinarily organized crime networks.
• Trying to give some causes to this phenomenon, the National Front deputy, Mohammed Benhammou, said that illegal immigration took alarming dimensions in Algeria and is seen as a “collective suicide of young men” seeking better life abroad. He added that most of these desperate peoples were victims of incredulous traffickers who promise heaven to them, but in most cases they return home in coffins.
• Estimates show some 1100 illegal immigrants were arrested on their way to Europe since 2007, while 84 bodies were recovered off-shore last year in addition to some 400 were deported by the Spanish authorities.