Algeria is facing mounting international criticism over its continued policy of forcibly deporting sub-Saharan African migrants into the arid, perilous expanses of the Sahara Desert near the Nigerien border—actions described by rights groups as cruel, inhumane, and in flagrant violation of international law.
The Algerian government has been accused of routinely rounding up migrants and refugees from sub-Saharan Africa, detaining them in overcrowded facilities, and then transporting them to remote border regions.
There, hundreds are reportedly left to cross into Niger on foot under extreme heat, without adequate food, water, or medical assistance.
“The Algerian regime pursues a cruel and inhumane policy toward migrants and refugees, forcibly deporting them to the Niger desert under harsh conditions, without regard for human rights, health, or legal safeguards,” reports allege.
Despite years of outcry, the practice has continued, with Algerian media outlets, including Algerie Part, confirming the ongoing mass deportations.
Witness accounts and local reports describe migrants being expelled without due legal process or consideration of their humanitarian status—actions that defy international conventions on the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees.
Human Rights Watch, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor are among the international organizations that have sounded the alarm on the dire situation.
They warn that many migrants face severe abuse, dehydration, starvation, and even death after being abandoned in the desert.
“She expressed deep concern about the mortal dangers these migrants face in the border areas between Algeria and Niger, where deaths are being recorded due to extreme heat and drought conditions,” a rights monitor noted.
The government of Niger has also voiced its displeasure. In a rare diplomatic rebuke, Niger summoned the Algerian ambassador to protest what it described as “unfriendly actions” and repeated violations of basic human rights.
The Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Algeria’s actions, stressing that the deportations disregard the legal and humanitarian vulnerability of those expelled.
“The Algerian authorities continue to deport thousands of migrants without regard for their legal or fragile humanitarian situation,” the ministry stated, highlighting how such actions deepen the regional humanitarian crisis.
As international pressure grows, human rights advocates are urging Algeria to end its expulsion policy and to work with regional and global partners to uphold the dignity and safety of migrants in accordance with international standards.
Source: telexpresse