Pieds-Noirs Raise 1,200 Complaints To Compensate For Their Presumed Properties In Algeria

An official member of the Association for the Defense of the French Properties that are confiscated in Algeria and overseas revealed that their association is preparing to raise 400 individual complaints against Algeria before the United Nations to claim damages of more than 15 billion euros, and expected to increase complaints to 1200 complaints to the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.

“French displaced from Algeria will follow Algeria and France in international courts until victims will receive the compensation they were promised since they left Algeria after 1962, leaving behind them properties”, Luis Gabriel said on the association’s website.

“The former French settlers in Algeria are currently living in dire financial and living conditions, and today they are moving in order to claim their legitimate rights in Algeria”, said a member of the Union for the Defense of the Interests of French displaced whose properties were confiscated in Overseas and Algeria.

“All that they received from the French government to the present time does not exceed 30% of the value of lands and houses and institutions that they left in Algeria from the French state, while they did not receive a penny from Algeria”.

“Algeria should grant compensation to the French who left Algeria after independence 15.1 billion euros”, the association says, based on the compensation that is paid by France during the 1960 s. At the time when the matter concerned the national solidarity, that were determined on the basis of 25% of the property value during the year 1962″.

According to the figures that were revealed by the association, it is preparing to raise 400 complaints to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, bringing the total number of complaints to 1200 at the level of the United Nations.

In this case, the Algerian government rejected the issue of empowering the French, who were born in Algeria and left it immediately after independence to regain the property they have been demanding since, she also refused to pay compensation in return for waiver. 

The Minister of Mujahideen (war veterans) Tayeb Zitouni said: “It is not possible to provide financial compensation for the pieds-noirs, who owned some properties during the French occupation of Algeria, 1954-1962”, stressing that France occupied the Algerian land and looted its goods and wealth and even the properties of citizens.