🗓️ Published on: 13/11/2025
The Fourth Regional Conference for Africa and the Arab States of Public Services International (AFRECON), held in Accra, Ghana from November 11 to 14, 2025, adopted an important resolution by an absolute majority to support the rights of migrants and refugees from sub-Saharan Africa in Algeria, and to condemn acts of discrimination, mass expulsion and violations against them.
The resolution followed extensive debate during the plenary session, where several unions from Senegal and Nigeria voiced strong support for the proposal. They stressed that the situation facing migrant workers in Algeria requires an urgent response from both African and international trade union movements. Speakers also called on the International Labour Organization (ILO) to mobilize all of its oversight mechanisms to press the Algerian authorities to comply with their international obligations.
Strong Calls to Reverse the Dissolution of SNATEG and LADDH
The union delegations emphasized that protecting the rights of migrants cannot be separated from safeguarding trade union and civil liberties within Algeria. In this context, speakers underscored the need to reverse the dissolution of SNATEG and the long-standing Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights(LADDH), as they are among the most prominent organizations that have monitored violations against migrants and advocated for their rights.
An African Trade Union Mobilization to Protect Migrant Workers
During the session, African trade unions affirmed that solidarity with migrant workers in Algeria is both a trade union duty and a humanitarian imperative. They called on Public Services International to:
- Monitoring the situation on the ground for migrants in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Increase pressure on the Algerian government to halt mass expulsion campaigns.
- Guaranteeing the right of access to justice and basic services, including housing, health and employment.
- Protecting human rights defenders from harassment and arbitrary arrests.
A Resolution Reflecting Broad African Consensus
This institutional decision represents one of the most important human rights outcomes of the 2025 AFRECON conference, reflecting an unprecedented African consensus on the need to put an end to violations against sub-Saharan migrants in Algeria, and to adopt a humanitarian approach consistent with the Geneva Convention on Refugees, African conventions, and the rules of the International Labour Organization.
The resolution also highlights the prominence of the trade union rights situation in Algeria on the continental agenda, particularly in light of the continuing restrictions imposed on independent unions.
Download the resolution in Arabic here
Download the resolution in English here
Download the resolution in French here
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