Over 52,000 Algerian immigrants who live in Algeria are mostly from African countries

A number of organizations which are active in the field of Human Rights and Immigrants’ Right Defense announced the creation of an “immigration platform” in Algeria, on Friday, on the occasion of the Migration World Day.

According to Imane Ben Chaouche, a coordinator at the Coordinating Committee of “Doctors of the World” thinks that this platform is a space for exchanging, thinking and action on the issue of immigration, and it is also active to serve the rights of migrants who are in Algeria.

Algeria is a transit country and a destination for thousands of people who suffer from difficult situations in their own country, because of war, poverty or difficult climatic conditions, as it was recorded, according to Abderrahmane Arar, the Head of Nada Cell, about 52.000 immigrants of different nationalities, on the basis of a report that was prepared by Algeria recently, and was submitted to the United Nations’ board.

African immigrants represent about 20,000 to 25,000 migrants, who are mostly coming from Cameroon, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger, Congo and other countries.

“They face, regardless of their status and sex, problems to obtain their basic rights, which are a prejudice to their dignity, in spite of the international commitments that are made by Algeria, but the ossified mentalities, some abnormal and inhumane practices prevent our immigrants from obtaining their rights.

People who joined the banner expressed their satisfaction of the positive developments on the rights of migrants, “but it is clear that improvements should done in many aspects that are related to the rights and daily life of migrants in Algerian society, including the issue of legal protection for the victims, combating discrimination, and protection against unstable labor.”

For his part, Abdelouahab Fersaoui, representative of the Youth Events Gathering “RAJ” considered the “immigration platform” a workshop and a challenge to work together in an integrated and cooperative civil society platform; “We want to make of Algeria the land of receiving migrants, because even African countries helped us in the independence of our country.”

The spokesman called on for the need to activate this important step in the form of actual movements on the ground and to intensify awareness campaigns against all forms of racial discrimination, in order to change mentalities and erroneous perception that Algerians have towards immigrants.

Speakers, from different categories of civil society agreed on the need to update the legislative system in our country towards immigrants, and the urgency of issuing a special  national law for the immigrants who work in Algeria, as the existing legislation is dating back to 2008, and this does not match with the developments that are currently taking place in the region and the world, as they called upon the developed countries to the need to take responsibility for the wars that they supported, especially since its consequences are affecting the human being in the most important rights, which is living with dignity.