Over €59.2M French Compensation For Harkis, Their Families

Accountability in the French National Assembly revealed that Paris had lavished more sums of money on the Harkis and their families as a reward for their betrayal of the liberation revolution and their commitment to colonialism against the Algerian people, with an initial budget of nearly 60 million euros, after it had treated only a third of the files, which numbered nearly 26,000.

The French authorities granted compensation to the Harkis, their wives, and their children, amounting to 8,800 euros per family, according to the procedures for rehabilitating the traitors of the liberation revolution that were approved by the Paris authorities years ago, at a financial cost of 59.2 million euros.

In response to the secretary state in charge of veterans and memory, which is under the tutelage of the Ministry of Armies, to a written questioning addressed by MPs Christophe Bex, from LFI Alliance and the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (NUPES), dated June 27, 2023, reviewed by Echorouk, read the Independent National Committee for Recognition and compensation for damages to Harkis and persons deported from Algeria, established on April 11, 2022, submitted its first report to the Prime Ministry on May 15, 2023.

The response of the French Ministry of Armies revealed that so far this independent committee has met 14 times since its creation and studied 7,543 files, which are requests for compensation for the Harkis and their families, noting that 7,071 files received a positive response with payment.

The average amounts that will be compensated for the Harkis, their wives and their children are 8,800 euros per family. At the same time, the total financial value of the operation, given the number of approved files, will be 59.2 million euros.

According to the same document, nearly 26,000 requests for compensation were sent to the Department of Recognition and Compensation for Damages, and confirmed that the State Secretariat for Veterans and Memory “pays special attention to the deadlines for processing these files.”

In the written question of Christophe Bex dated February 14, 2023, the French representative considered that “it is unacceptable to see the Harkis families, who paid a great price for their commitment to France, being treated again in an inhumane manner, while the order issued on October 3, 2018, by the Council of the state opened the door for them to obtain financial compensation for the Harkis and their families (widows and children).