Belgium wants to deport 35,000 Algerians

Algeria’s Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal Wednesday said Belgian authorities declared that 35,000 Algerians are illegally living in Belgium.

“According to Belgian authorities, 35,000 Algerians are illegally living in Belgium but they have good behaviour,” Sellal told a news press in Algiers.

Each time, Algerian authorities show reserves about European figures aboul illegal immigrants. Most of them do not have identity documents and usulally give fake nationality to immigration and security department. 

Belgium’s head of government is on a visit to Algeria. Illegal immigrants’ issue is the most important point in his agenda.

Media in Brussels reported that the visit aims at launching talks with authorities to accept receiving deported illegal immigrants.

According to the same sources, the head of the government does not want to sign an agreement in this regard but to launch “serious” talks to reach a consensus.

Sellal said any action taken in this regard should respect “the dignity of those people.”

A Belgian news website Wednesday reported that about 500 people are jailed in Belgium. They are said to be Algerian although they do not have identity cards.

Earlier in August, the Belgian immigration minister criticized Algeria for taking a long time to reply to Belgium’s request regarding the reception of immigrants.

Algeria’s Ambassador to Brussels Amar Blani had responded, saying that Algiers received 150 immigrants in 2015. This process is conducted as part of bilateral cooperation.

He had raised the problem of identifying the immigrants as they did not have any identity document.