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egArds sur l'Algérie A life of hardship The Challenges faced by Sub-Saharan Migrants and Refugees in People leave their countries of origin for many reasons. Some leave due to war, persecution and violence whilst others leave due to a very difficult economic situation. Persons migrating towards Algeria are no different. Whilst their reasons for arriving to Algeria may differ, the hardships they suffer along the route to arrive here and the tough conditions they must face in the country are often the same. One big difference is that whilst some can return to their countries of origin, others cannot due to war, persecution or a lack of means to return back home. Humiliation on return and a feeling of having 'failed' is another reason why people do not return back home even when things do not turn out well in Algeria. Most migrants in need of international protection head to Algiers where they can apply for asylum with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) which decides who is entitled to international protection and who is not. Those recognised as refugees are under the protection of UNHCR and are given documents and certain important rights and assistance. Nevertheless, it is still very difficult for them to find work and earn a livelihood. Importantly, the refugee document protects people from being forcibly sent back to their countries of origin or from being deported to the south of the country. The problem of access to work is one of the greatest problems faced by migrants and refugees in Algeria. No one is given the permission to work, so finding regular work is almost impossible. Many end up Algeria L’auteur est avocat, spécialisé dans les droits de l'homme et le droit d'asile. Il travaille pour le Service jésuite des réfugiés (JRS). Une partie du travail du Bureau européen de JRS est de sensibiliser l'Union européenne sur la situation des réfugiés et des migrants en Afrique du Nord et de l'Ouest. En effet, décisions et politiques de l'UE ont une influence directe sur la vie des migrants en transit dans ces pays. Il est donc important que les décideurs européens aient cela en tête lorsque des décisions sont prises. Andrew vient de parcourir l’Algérie pour mieux connaître la situation de ces migrants. Il nous partage son regard 1 . working unofficially and this often means that they do not earn as much as locals and are not protected by contracts. At times, employers take advantage of this and do not pay the migrants for the work they have done. The migrants cannot go and report this to the police since they were not working legally and could end up in trouble due to their general status in the country. Difficulties in accessing work lead to other serious problems such as accommodation. It is very hard to pay for rent without a regular job, so many persons end up living in very poor conditions. Those who find no work often end up squatting in unfinished buildings such as in the neighbourhood of Boush Bouk or living in small and crowded rooms with no privacy. Thankfully, especially when accompanied by organisations, 1 Une traduction en français de cet article est disponible sur le site eglise-catholique-algerie.org
migrants often have access to the healthcare that they need from the local authorities. The journey to Algeria is one of the most difficult experiences many people will go through in their lives. They cross through the desert, sometimes for several days, at the mercy of smugglers and risking coming across bandits. Some die of dehydration along the way. There have also been reports of police taking advantage of the vulnerable migrants, asking for bribes and inflicting other forms of abuse. Women are at a high risk of being sexually assaulted throughout the journey, with the attempt to cross the border between Algeria and Morocco near Maghnia being the most notorious area for such circumstances. These traumatic experiences often add up to other traumas suffered in people’s country of origin, especially when they were fleeing from war and persecution. Reaching Europe ? Many head up to Algeria with a dream to earn a better living and perhaps managing to enter Europe. Reaching Europe has become very difficult and many remain stuck in Algeria or further along their journey in Morocco. A young man I met in Tamanrasset had just returned from Casablanca and was heading back home to Cameroon. "Morocco is even more difficult than Algeria for migrants. Working there is very difficult and getting to Europe is almost impossible and very risky." He tries to tell this to others who are still at the beginning of their travel, but they don’t listen. Everyone believes that their luck will be different. They also barely listen when told that about one person every ten who try to cross to Europe by boat drown and die. "It will not happen to me", says one young man who still dreams of crossing over to Europe. "God is with me and will protect me". Few are ready to let go of their dreams even in the face of harsh realities faced by those who tried the same thing before them. For others, going back home would be a great humiliation even if it means remaining in an exile of misery for a few more years. "I cannot go back home yet", says one young woman. "That would mean failure in the eyes of my family. My brother has made it to Europe and now has a job and a family. I want to do the same thing." Keeping values. Some people in desperate situations end up getting involved in illegal activities and losing their values. There is much exploitation of others from their own communities. People’s values and outlook on life can have a big impact on the choices they make, even in the most difficult of situations. It is important for those who are feeling lost in life to get some spiritual guidance. I had the chance of meeting migrants living in Algeria who changed their ways or refused to accept to succumb to getting involved in things which they felt were wrong. There have also been stories of success where people worked hard and achieved positive things. Even in the best of cases, there are still problems such as a lack of regular documents and access to work contracts that will always create obstacles, but success stories show that people do not need to give up just because the situation is very difficult. Working with migrants ? Unlike Europe, it is hard for NGOs to register and work in Algeria. For foreign NGOs it is practically impossible to be here officially. Working with migrants is particularly difficult since it is illegal to provide assistance to persons without regular documents and this is punishable by a number of months in prison. Religious institutions play an important role in the provision of assistance to migrants in various parts of Algeria. It is a struggle to keep a balance between supporting those who have nothing and to avoid creating a dependency where people will not seek to become self-sufficient. At the same time, it is important to identify those who are particularly vulnerable such as children, abused women, victims of trafficking and those with physical or psychological problems and ensure that they are not abandoned to their own fate and at the mercy of those ready to exploit them. Working with migrants is not an easy job, but is one of great importance since they often lack access to the support structures that locals can rely on. Andrew Galea Debono pax concordia regArds sur l'Algérie
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Page 3 and 4: P. Silvano Zoccarato Touggourt Appr
Page 5 and 6: Voyage de Benoît XVi au liban Lors
Page 7 and 8: Conférence des évêques de la ré
Page 9 and 10: peuples, elle examine ici d’abord
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Page 13 and 14: Promenade à Timimoun نوميمي
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Page 17 and 18: la fabrication du pain en images 1.
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Page 21: L’Algérie au fil des jours Chadl
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Page 27 and 28: Des étudiants burundais à Gharda
Page 29 and 30: A une introduction très poussée
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