Presidential Election 2014: Echorouk explores views of immigrants in the French Lyon

Algerian community abroad and in France is living a state of neglect and indifference regarding the Presidential Elections of April 17.

Immigrants do not even know the candidates for the elections, or those who resigned from the Algerian political scene, considering that the authorities know that they have immigrants only on the eve of the elections, putting a set of requirements to vote.

Echorouk paid a brief tour in Lyon, one  of the French cities where large number of Algerians live, and noticed anger among them against the Algerian public authorities, which is only waiting for them to raise the participation rate when the elections arrive, as said by an Algerian illegal immigrant in the Bridge Square.

“I only know two candidates. May be there is a woman with them. Algerian authorities think about the immigrants only during the elections, but when it comes to helping us, even only with a passport to settle our situation, it remains a dream. When you visit the Algerian consulate you will find only bad behaviors. As soon as you enter there they tell you why are you here?!”

Another young man added; “They do not help immigrants. Only two representatives of candidates came to Lyon. Do they have something for the benefit of immigrants in their programs, to solve even a part of the problems”.

Echorouk met with Houssam Kouribe, one of the Algerian elite who succeeds in France in the field of medicine, and who is responsible in a private clinic in Lyon. His looks carried a lot of pain and sadness due to the reality of health in Algeria, and the thing which added more complication is the way the Algerian authorities deal with Algerian doctors who live in France.

“Algerian authorities have no real will to bring back the country’s elite in order to let them contribute to the development of the country”.

“How can a doctor who studied and works in France where everyone recognized his professionalism, is neglected and marginalized by his country and prevented from equal certification. Where is the Algerian parliament to put an end to this farce. I am a syndicalist in France and data shows that there are 15.000 Algerian doctors practitioners in France, and 5000 doctors who study this profession in French universities. Isn’t it a treasure that the country can exploit”.