Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has issued an appeal to young Algerians living abroad in precarious and irregular circumstances, encouraging them to regularise their status and return to their homeland.
The announcement came during a meeting of the Council of Ministers on January 11, where Tebboune outlined a special measure to facilitate the process.
He addressed those who had departed Algeria through irregular migration routes, often referred to as “harga“, and who now face difficult living conditions overseas.
According to an official communiqué from the Presidency, relayed by the state news agency APS, the Tebboune addressed “young Algerians finding themselves abroad in a situation of precariousness and irregularity, having been deliberately misled by individuals who believed they could harm the credibility of the state by instrumentalising them abroad against their country”.
The statement added that most of these individuals “have only committed minor offences, such as the fear of a simple summons by the police or national gendarmerie to be heard on matters related to public order or other similar reasons”.
Tebboune emphasised that such circumstances “do not justify such suffering” and warned that these young people risk exploitation by criminal networks or mafias.
The measure excludes those involved in serious crimes, including violent offences, drug trafficking, arms dealing, or collaboration with foreign security services aimed at harming Algeria.
Under the decree, eligible nationals are invited to contact Algerian consulates in their host countries to begin regularisation procedures.
This includes the issuance of new passports where necessary, with the requirement that applicants commit in writing not to reoffend.
The consulates will handle the process until the individuals’ return to Algeria.
The decision, described as exceptional, is presented as a humanitarian gesture to allow those affected to reintegrate without fear of disproportionate punishment for minor infractions.
It could potentially apply to tens of thousands of Algerians, many of whom reside in Europe, particularly France and Spain, where irregular migration from Algeria has been significant in recent years.
The appeal has drawn particular attention in France, amid ongoing discussions on migration co-operation between Paris and Algiers, including the enforcement of expulsion orders for undocumented individuals.
French media outlets have noted that the move might offer a pathway for some Algerians subject to obligations to leave French territory, although implementation details remain unclear.
Algerian authorities have repeatedly refused to let their dangerous illegal nationals expelled from France return to their soil.
Relations between Algiers and Paris have deteriorated further recently over a series of high-profile incidents, including the jailing of opposition figures and critics with French ties.
Algeria has immediately returned an Algerian influencer who was deported by France back to where he came from, aggravating diplomatic tensions between both countries. https://t.co/kEroBOFyLH
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) January 10, 2025
