Algeria is a country of transit and destination, that hosts refugees and asylum-seekers from 41 nationalities. With no asylum legislation, reception facilities or referral mechanisms, refugees and asylum-seekers do not have access to documentation, services or protection by the authorities. Furthermore, Algeria is the largest country in Africa by area, and UNHCR is currently unable to reach people of concern outside the capital or outside the camps near Tindouf.
Following the country’s “Hirak” protest movement which began in 2019, and the referendum on the amended Constitution in 2020, little progress was achieved in building systems for refugee protection in Algeria. UNHCR continued to undertake registration, refugee status determination (RSD), and issue documentation for refugees and asylum-seekers.
Sahrawi refugees continue living in five camps near Tindouf. The area is characterized by a harsh climatic environment and remoteness of the camps, during the more than 40 years of protracted displacement. Economic and livelihood opportunities remain limited, with frustration growing particularly among the youth born in the camps.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on all life aspects of refugees and asylum-seekers in Algeria, causing the loss of livelihoods and deterioration of living standards. Access to essential services such as health care, food security, education and vocational training was limited. In both urban and in-camp caseloads, the continuity of life-saving activities was periodically interrupted during the year, with UNHCR reinforcing direct contact and feedback mechanisms which contributed to better orient and adapt interventions.
Closure of Algeria’s international borders in mid-March 2020 resulted in restricted access to territory. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Algerian Government suspended arrests and expulsion activities during lockdown. These practices resumed in September 2020, with a new wave of mass arrests that resulted in the expulsion of thousands of individuals. UNHCR continued to reinforce access to people of concern and to identify those in need of international protection. During the year at least 20,036 people were transferred to Niger and Mali, including 144 people of concern to UNHCR. In 2019, some 27,941 were transferred to the border by Algerian authorities. This drop in 2020 was due mostly to the COVID-19 situation and associated restrictions. The established cross-border coordination with UNHCR operations in Niger and Mali on deportations from Algeria was further strengthened to monitor trends on access to the territory. UNHCR engaged in regular dialogue and advocated with the Government of Algeria on protection of refugees and asylum-seekers in the country. This dialogue and advocacy prevented the deportation of 100 people of concern, including all refugees identified among the group.
Although suspension of RSD activities from March-June 2020 resulted in a decrease in recognition rates, the number of recognized refugees increased by over 30% during the last three years. This was partly due to the volatile security situation in countries of origin in the Sahel region, Cameroon and Nigeria; and the introduction of simplified procedures for Malian asylum-seekers. Linked with the reduction of the resettlement quota and the suspension of departures due to COVID-19, this caused an increase in the total number of refugees in the country, while durable solutions were diminished. To cope with this situation, the Office implemented remote pre-registration procedures and mobile teams to deliver renewed documents.