Migrants makeshift camps were not ordered by European countries: Algerian minister

The Algerian interior minister, Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni, denied all the allegations that the European countries pressured the Algerian authorities to set up camps for illegal immigrants deported from Europe .

He asserted that the decision to set up these camps aims to control these immigrants awaiting their identification in order to send them back to their original countries, adding that these measures obey the international laws as part of the reciprocity principle.

Replying to the senators’ questions, the minister yesterday declared that the Algerian authorities are doing their utmost to face this phenomenon through a panel of measures including the reinforcement of the southern borders by the implementation of cutting-edge technologies, notably electronic devices to track these immigrants.

He also acknowledged the difficulties faces in the implementation of the electronic passport, nonetheless, he said that the project is on its way to see the light” It is most likely to concretize the project by the end of the year 2010, as requested by several international legislations in connection with this issue” he added.

As to the magnetic ID, the minister said “it is up to several sector to coordinate between them, since it is possible to issue it providing that the information included in must be credible and forgery proof”.

Dealing with foreign work force, the minister declared that this matter must be settled by the employment law, and that the relevant authorities are thinking in implementing additional measures to guarantee a legal employment for these people, calling for a wider cooperation between the security authorities and foreign companies, in order to limit what he called “ The Chinese workers’ phenomenon”