Algeria - 2018 Year-End Report Summary

2018

Operational environment

In 2018, UNHCR continued its protection and assistance to refugees and asylum-seekers in Algeria, both in Algiers and in Tindouf, where the reduction of monthly food rations to Sahrawi refugees was particularly concerning. Advocacy for the adoption of a national asylum framework also continued. Arrest operations by Algerian authorities were reported throughout 2018, with 374 people of concern arrested and 139 deported to Mali and Nigeria, leading to an increasingly difficult protection environment.

Population trends

The number of refugees and asylum seekers increased slightly in 2018, with some 9,310 people of concern registered in Algiers, most originating from Syria, Guinea, Mali, and Côte D’Ivoire. The number of Yemeni nationals registering in Algeria also increased by nearly 60% from 2017. UNHCR continued to provide international protection, assistance, and services to Sahrawi refugees in five camps near Tindouf. Arrivals from Algeria to Spain also rose during the year, with migrants increasingly resorting to the Western Mediterranean route. 

Key achievements

  • Camp-based refugees in Tindouf saw greater access to self-employment and business development through enhanced livelihoods capabilities, raising employment among refugees – particularly women and youth – when compared to the previous year.
  • Following the development of a multi-agency Humanitarian Appeal, the percentage of donor contributions rose from 22% in 2017 to 40% in 2018.
  • A cross-regional Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism was put into place, which resulted in more systematized response and follow-up to expulsions from Algeria to Niger and Mali.

Unmet needs

  • Although UNHCR engaged with local partners to provide people of concern with access to necessary academic and vocational training services, many people of concern continued to suffer due to lack of funding and resources. Particularly in Tindouf, approximately 65% of schoolbook requirements were not covered, and more than 60% of learning environments required structural improvement.
  • While UNHCR constructed 120 water reservoirs for most vulnerable families in four of the five camps in Tindouf, the provision of water remained below half of the international standard of 20 litres/person/day.
  • The health and lifesaving sectors remained critically underfunded for camp-based Sahrawi refugees, for example: 30% of essential drugs were not covered, 25% of laboratory and x-ray needs were not met, and 47 out of 88 medical staff did not receive financial incentives for their work.