Immigration in the South of Algeria: Possible Integration

Immigration has recently become a crucial issue which worries not only the European countries but also the north African ones, which were considered by illegal immigrants as transit zones to reach Europe. However, after the political troubles in Tunisia and Libya, on the one hand, and the recent drastic measures taken by the Europeans to fight against this phenomenon, on the other, Algeria has become the final destination of these immigrants. Official statistics provided by the Brigade for the Fight against Illegal Immigration and the Courts of Adrar and Tamanrasset- two southern provinces sharing frontiers with Mali and Niger respectively- confirm that Algeria has become a hosting country. Due to the intensive activities of the smugglers, who find in transporting illegal immigrants a lucrative activity, thousands of Africans arrive yearly in Tamanrasset and Adrar in spite of tough control of the frontiers by the army. As a resident and a witness in Adrar, I can attest to the appalling living conditions of these illegal immigrants, particularly in the district of ‘B’ni Waskut’ in the south-western part of Adrar. A situation which makes them vulnerable to delinquency, criminality, prostitution, which threatens the peaceful atmosphere of the local people, and may generate bad consequences that will threaten peace and security of the region as a whole. The paper suggests an approach based on the integration of these illegal immigrants in the development schemes of the region to prevent or at least limit such bad consequences on the region.