The Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces Issues an Urgent International Appeal on the Situation of Migrants in Algeria

🗓️ Published on: 08/26/2025

The Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces (COSYFOP) has sounded the alarm, issuing an urgent call to the international community and warning of the worsening humanitarian and human rights crisis facing Sub-Saharan African migrants in Algeria since late July 2025.

A Dangerous Surge in Violations

In its supplementary report released on 18 August 2025 — submitted alongside a formal complaint addressed on 26 August 2025 to United Nations Special Rapporteurs — COSYFOP documented a series of alarming abuses. These include: the intensification of hate campaigns and state-led propaganda portraying migrants as a security threat; sweeping urban raids followed by mass deportations to the southern borders under inhumane conditions; the systematic targeting of migrants in their workplaces — from construction sites and farms to informal street commerce — effectively criminalizing their economic activity; the silence of national institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission and the Algerian Red Crescent; and finally, the repression of independent organizations and trade unionists who attempt to stand in solidarity with migrants, including COSYFOP itself.

According to Algeria’s Ministry of Defense, between 13 and 20 August alone, 1,225 migrants were arrested — many of them women and children. They were detained without any medical or legal assistance and in the absence of independent human rights monitors. Faced with these harsh conditions, many migrants fled into the mountains in a desperate attempt to avoid arrest and deportation.

A Deafening Silence of Solidarity

COSYFOP stressed that what makes the situation even more alarming is the complete absence of both national and international solidarity with migrants in Algeria. Inside the country, official institutions have remained silent, while at the international level, the global community has abandoned these migrants to face a tragic fate without protection or support.

On this basis, COSYFOP submitted an official complaint to three United Nations Special Rapporteurs: the Special Rapporteur on racism, racial discrimination, and related intolerance; the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants; and the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery.

COSYFOP called on these UN mechanisms to intervene urgently to stop the raids, arbitrary arrests, and mass deportations, and to ensure that migrants’ rights to human dignity and protection from discrimination and exploitation are fully respected.

The Voice of Migrants Will Not Be Silenced

COSYFOP President Raouf Mellal emphasized that this step reflects the Confederation’s long-standing commitment to defending human rights and upholding independent trade unionism. He added:

“Migrants in Algeria have been left without support or protection, and unless the international community acts urgently, the circle of repression will only widen. Our call today is to put an end to these systematic practices and to ensure that migrants are treated in full accordance with international standards.”