According to human rights watchdogs, tens of thousands of Sub-Saharan migrants were summarily deported to the borders with Niger where they were abandoned in harsh conditions. The anti-migrant populism in Algeria is espoused at the highest state level by ministers who have been blaming their country’s economic hardship on poor sub-Saharan migrants. The dispute between the two countries took shape after Algeria insisted on deporting sub-Saharans it deems as Guineans, while Guinea refuses such a procedure. Niger’s civil society including rights groups and the Gabonese civil society have joined their voices to condemn the Algerian regime’s racism against Sub-Saharans while urging the African Union to take action to end the ordeal of Sub-Saharans in Algeria. Last year, presidential advisor and surprisingly Head of Algeria’s human rights commission Farouk Ksentini made scandalous statements, bluntly accusing sub-Saharans of spreading HIV and diseases in Algeria.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 19, 2018 10:30 UTC