Algeria advocates comprehensive migration approach

3a586067ff2775b4ff5a92c827a5ca3a_M
APS : Sunday, 25 February 2018
NEW YORK-Representing the People’s National Assembly (Lower House) at the Parliamentary Hearing on the Compact for migration held at the United Nations,
MP Seddik Chihab on Friday advocated a global and united vision on migration-related issues.
Speaking on the second day of this Parliamentary Hearing designed to enlighten UN negotiations on this Compact, Chihab stressed that Algeria “has always advocated a comprehensive, integrated and concerted approach on migration-related issues.”
This approach should be “balanced” and should take into consideration “the security aspect, the issues related to migrants’ human rights and the root causes of irregular migration,” said the MP.
Moreover, these aspects should take into account “the intrinsic link between migration and development” and the need to invest in job-generating projects likely to ease the migration pressure,” recommended Chihab at a panel held on the sidelines of the Parliamentary Hearing on migrants’ social cohesion and integration.
The Algerian MP stressed the need to back the efforts of regional organizations, notably the African Union (AU), and encourage investments oriented towards the promotion of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In this connection, he stated that partnerships were “inescapable to address the migration issue” and should integrate the interests and concerns of the countries of origin, transit and destination in a balanced way.
“Hence, Algeria recommends dealing with the root causes of political instability, armed conflicts and their link with transnational crime and extreme poverty,” stated Chihab.
As regards the migration issue in Algeria, Chihab said that Algeria, originally a country of origin, had become a country of transit and destination.
“Today, Algeria is faced with unprecedented migration fluxes from sub-Saharan countries. In fact, this massive afflux is favoured by the geostrategic position of Algeria, the employment and stability opportunities it offers as well as the recent political crisis in Libya, the Sahel region and Syria.”
Algeria bears “the burden of thousands of Sub-Saharan migrants and displaced on its territory who receive a treatment in accordance with the traditions of hospitality dear to the Algerian people,” stressed Chihab.
Facing these fluxes, “Algeria has adopted a position of openness and tolerance in accordance with these traditions of hospitality as it received dozens of thousands of irregular migrants, notably people from sub-Saharan regions.”
Algeria also received more than 40,000 Syrian nationals who have benefited since 2012 from special measures providing them with facilities in terms of stay, schooling, medical care and work, recalled Chihab.
“This human and generous approach has not failed to be tendentiously exploited by parties hostile to Algeria,” recalling the repatriation of African nationals to Niger in early December 2016, which “gave rise to malicious comments aimed at discrediting the traditional hospitality of the Algerian people.”
“In fact, Algeria has always shared the concerns of neighbouring and friendly countries facing crises and continues, despite an unfavourable situation, to make considerable efforts to improve of the situation of sub-Saharan migrants,” said Chihab.
The country “is today a major player at the international and regional levels, and a key partner of the European Union (EU) in the field of migration,” he noted.
At the international level, Algeria actively participates in all the discussions on migration and refugees while, at the African level, it works to mobilize further efforts and resources for genuine solutions to the root causes of irregular migration such as political conflicts, underdevelopment and unemployment, he continued.
Besides, Algeria has significantly strengthened its cooperation with the countries of the South and the main neighbouring countries from which migrants come, namely Niger and Mali, notably through joint committees and bilateral border committees, which represent a privileged framework to discuss issues related to the security and development of border areas.

Let's talk

If you want to get a free consultation without any obligations, fill in the form below and we'll get in touch with you.