A Black Man Hunting Operation in Algeria

A Black Man Hunting Operation in Algeria  

On October 11th a man and his wife were returning from the hospital after getting their month-old baby vaccinated. On their way home from the hospital they were stopped by the Algerian military police, the gendarmerie, and were arrested (Gopalakrishnan). Why? Another wave of deportations has struck in Algeria. The local government does nothing to stop them, rather they are the supporters of the situation at hand while also allowing racist opinions to be expressed using social media.

The Algerian government is racially profiling Sub-Saharan migrants and trying to eradicate them from their country. These migrants are being unlawfully kidnapped and taken to a facility in Zeralda, a suburb of the capital, and then are being deported over the border into Niger, a surrounding country (Algeria New). The government is violating an international law stating that no one can be forcibly expelled from a country without being allowed to challenge that accusation (Amnesty Condemns). Authorities do not confirm the migrants status by checking for passports or other documents. Some of these migrants are undocumented while others have visas (Algeria Mass). 

Since the beginning of 2018 more than 3,000 people have been deported. This includes around 500 people since February 10th. This also includes twenty refugees and two minors (Algeria New). In August of 2017, 2,000 people were deported including 300 minors and 25 unaccompanied children (Amnesty Condemns). 

Why are these people being deported and whose fault is it? The government are the people behind these unjust deportations as they are wrongfully blaming Sub-Saharan migrants for the slow economic growth (Algeria New). Ahmed Ouyahia, Algeria’s current Prime Minister, has made atrocious comments directed at Sub-Saharan migrants saying they are a “source of crime, drugs and other calamities” (Amnesty Condemns). The head of human rights commission, Farouk Ksentini, has also made outrageous comments blaming them for spreading HIV and other diseases throughout Algeria (Amnesty Condemns). 

Not only are these ideas being spread throughout the government but also through social media. Social media users in Algeria are accusing migrants of spreading HIV and taking Algerian jobs (Algeria Mass). An anonymous online campaign blames African migrants for these things and has spread a racist hashtag in Arabic stating “No to Africans in Algeria” (Algeria Resumes). 

Due to these accusations Sub-Saharan migrants are being taken from their homes, streets, and workplaces by the gendarmerie. They are being transported to places with unconventional living conditions against their will (Algeria New). It is their right to seek help and prove they’re legal by showing documents but they are being denied this (Amnesty Condemns). The media has called this a “black man hunting operation” and the government has proven that that is exactly what has been happening (Algeria Resumes).

Work Cited

“Algeria: Expatriate Christian Worker Deported.” Middle East Concern, www.meconcern.org/2018/01/24/algeria-expatriate-christian-worker-deported/.
“Algeria: New Wave of Deportations.” Human Rights Watch, 27 Feb. 2018, www.hrw.org/news/2018/02/27/algeria-new-wave-deportations.
“Algeria Resumes Summary Deportations of Sub-Saharans amid Anti-Migrant Populism.”The North Africa Post, 3 Aug. 2017, www.northafricapost.com/19143-algeria-resumes-summary-deportations-sub-saharans-amid-anti-migrant-populism.html.
“Algeria: Surge in Deportations of Migrants.” Human Rights Watch, 30 Oct. 2017, www.hrw.org/news/2017/10/30/algeria-surge-deportations-migrants.
“Amnesty Condemns Algeria for Mass Deportation of African Migrants.” The North Africa Post, 24 Oct. 2017, www.northafricapost.com/20323-amnesty-condemns-algeria-mass-deportation-african-migrants.html.
“Amnesty International.” Algeria: Mass Racial Profiling Used to Deport More than 2,000 Sub-Saharan Migrants, www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/10/algeria-mass-racial-profiling-used-to-deport-more-than-2000-sub-saharan-migrants/.
Gopalakrishnan, Manasi. “Algeria Racially Profiling and Deporting Sub-Saharan Migrants: HRW.” InfoMigrants, 30 Oct. 2017, www.infomigrants.net/en/post/5844/algeria-racially-profiling-and-deporting-sub-saharan-migrants-hrw.