U.S. Department Of State Praises Algeria’s Fight Against Trafficking In Persons

The Algerian government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons but is making great efforts to achieve this, the U.S. Department of State.

“Algerian Government has shown great efforts by continuing to investigate, prosecute and convict the trafficking in persons’ cells”.

U.S. Department of State’s raking in the category of countries that are making considerable efforts in this area places Algeria in the second rank.

It explained in its annual report on trafficking in persons, that was issued, Thursday, that “Algeria identified 34 victims of trafficking and referred some to care. The government also allocated resources to the National Committee against Trafficking in Persons, while the Prime Minister approved the National Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons for the period 2019-2021”.

The American report carried a lot of positiveness for Algeria, saying: “The government also raised awareness of trafficking in persons’ issues between law enforcement officials and other government officials. The government continued to make efforts to prosecute and convict suspected traffickers”.

“Government continues efforts to prevent trafficking in persons and the finalization of a new national plan of action to combat trafficking in persons that are implemented between 2019 and 2021, and allocated sufficient resources for the implementation of the Plan, and held the National Inter-Ministerial to combat the trafficking in persons continuously, as six public events were held to raise awareness of trafficking in persons throughout the reporting period”.

For its part, the National Council for Human Rights continued to introduce a subcommittee on human trafficking cases, and the Ministry launched an awareness campaign to stop the use of children in begging cells, while the government continued to operate three hotlines that are operating 24 hours a day and a public website to report abuse and other crimes, including potential crimes in trafficking in persons.

The report reviewed some of the cases that were referred to the justice for a decision and that are related to the crime of trafficking in persons and reported; “In 2018, the government investigated with 16 of the alleged perpetrators and tried them, convicted 9 of the traffickers, compared to 26 investigations into trafficking cases, 22 trials and 14 traffickers were convicted in 2017”.

“Of these 16 prosecutions, the government has prosecuted and sentenced nine perpetrators under the anti-trafficking laws, two were convicted with five-year ban on entry into Algeria, and the government has not provided further details on other cases”.

The U.S. report warned the government which did not investigate, prosecute or convict traffickers in 2018, despite reports of trafficking in persons in Algeria, especially among migrants, compared to 2017.”