[41], Government approval is required to form unions, and a union can lose its legal status for various reasons. [29], Human Rights Watch said in its annual report -2015-2016- that Algerian authorities continued to suppress peaceful protests by prohibiting all kind of gatherings held without prior approval. Sign up here for a newsletter with updates on new materials added to the website. These rights depend on their nationality or their status and are determined by different legal instruments Dual Nationality: The Algerian government treats dual-national Algerian-Americans who enter Algeria on an Algerian passport solely as Algerian citizens. Having said this, Algeria still has tourism and it is possible to visit and travel through the region without consequences. France will be making it harder for foreigners to seek French citizenship as of January. He spent his three months in intensive care unit in a coma since he was suffering severe lung inflammation. Schindler notes that "Algeria's nightmare years of 1993–1997 were a focus of the international human-rights community" but that "the terrible fratricide [of] the 1990s got little coverage in Western media, despite the fact that it probably claimed twice as many lives as the Bosnian conflict, which ran concurrently and received nonstop Western attention." Two years after the “Hirak” anti-government protests began in February 2019, the political situation in Algeria is still unstable and the freedom to inform is in greater danger than ever. In 2011, Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who had been in power since 1999, lifted a state of emergency that had been in place since the end of the Algerian Civil War in 2002, as a result of the Arab Spring protests that had occurred throughout the Arab world. Permits are required for public meetings, and are often difficult to obtain. Refworld contains a vast collection of reports relating to situations in countries of origin, policy documents and positions, and documents relating to international and national legal frameworks. Dual Nationality: The Algerian government treats dual-national Algerian-Americans who enter Algeria on an Algerian passport solely as Algerian citizens. Prosecutors' requests to extend preventive detention are rarely denied by judges. Non-EU nationals may have the right to work in an EU country or the right to be treated equally with EU nationals as regards conditions of work. The community shall protect and You currently have a right to reside if you’re from the EU, EEAor Switzerland and you’re one of the following: 1. Death of the journalist Mohammed Tamalt, 42, is an example of using the government its power to silence the individuals whose writing insulted the president of republic and the official bodies. If you are a U.S. citizen seeking residency in Algeria, see our page on Residency in Algeria. [18] This casts doubt on the state of religious freedom in Algeria. Sarah Leah Whitson of HRW said that "President Abdelaziz Bouteflika speaks often about judicial reform, but when it comes to trying suspected militants, reform does not yet mean fairness. Algeria’s New Law on Associations Being Used to Stifle Civil Society. This law purports to (1) protect the rights and interests of the elderly, and (2) provide the elderly with the support necessary to sustain the quality of life and dignity fitting to their respected status in community. Sunday-Thursday, 0800-1700, except holidays . The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is severely restricted in Algeria, in both law and practice. From 2018 to 2019, the total number of Chinese workers in Africa … The system is inconsistent with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. [20], While congratulating Algeria for lifting the state of emergency in February 2011, Human Rights Watch urged that the government still needed to "restore basic liberties" by amending "numerous repressive laws and end various arbitrary practices that have no legal basis". Registering non-Muslim groups is difficult, proselytizing is punishable by up to three years in jail, and Christian groups often have trouble obtaining visas, although this last problem has apparently eased in recent years. Although it is unconstitutional, the government monitors the communications of its political opponents, the news media, human-rights organizations, and terrorist suspects. UN Human Rights System and Humanitarian Issues Section; Close navigation. In the 1960s and 1970s, Algeria was noted for its support of Third World policies and independence movements. If you were born in the UK after 31 December 1982 and your parents were not British or Irish, you’ll need check their immigration status to be sure you’re automatically a British citizen. [12], The following chart shows Algeria's ratings since 1972 in the Freedom in the World reports, published annually by Freedom House. Homosexuality and lesbianism are punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment with fines up to 10,000 dinars,[32] torture,[33] beatings,[34] or vigilante execution. Child sexual abuse is technically punishable by 10–20 years in prison but offenders rarely receive such long sentences. From the United States, you can also contact the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 888-407-4747. Any person under this age whose father is an Algerian citizen will be regarded as Algerian if the father’s name is on the birth certificate. Article 30 • Requirements for birthright citizenship Algerian citizenship shall be defined in an Act of Parliament. In relation to those born after independence, the law included a limited double jus soli provision; but with a presumption in favour of those of Muslim religion. Algeria Introduction Any analysis of the voter registration system in present day Algeria is a challenge given that no independent organization has been able to observe the voter registration process in any recent elections. Official approval is required in order to form political parties and many other types of organizations, such as NGOs. [38] Gender expression is banned and discrimination is rampant. It also exerts influence by wielding the power of the government-owned advertising company to place or not place ads in various publications. [48], Parts of this article (those related to Bouteflika, who resigned in 2019) need to be. Refworld is the leading source of information necessary for taking quality decisions on refugee status. [3], During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria, public health was used by the government to justify the dispersion of ongoing Hirak protests by implementing a lockdown. OHCHR Work on The Right to A Nationality and on Statelessness In May, police arrested dozens of high-profile politicians and business people on corruption-related charges; from September onwards, courts sentenced them to prison terms. Although the sexes are equal under the constitution, there are discriminatory elements of sharia in Algerian law. Discrimination based on birth, race, gender, and a number of other attributes is illegal, although women, in particular, face considerable and systematic discrimination. As a result, he was sentenced two years as well as a payment of a fine equal 1,800 $. Serious challenges to human rights in Algeria have included substantial restrictions of freedom of association, assembly and movement, alongside state control over freedom of expression and of the press, extensive corruption, official impunity, overuse of pre-trial detention, substandard prison conditions, prisoner abuse, absence of a free judiciary, violence and discrimination against women, limited workers' rights, and arbitrary killings by government agents. 97% of the Algerian population is Muslim. A number of women's groups run rape-crisis centers and provide counseling to abused women, but have limited resources and have trouble getting spousal abuse taken seriously. [17], Though Algeria's constitution guarantees freedom of worship, it also declares Islam the state religion and prohibits activities incompatible with Islamic morals, and in reality religious liberty for non-Muslims is limited by a number of laws and practices. U.S. citizen women married to Algerians do not require the husband’s authorization to depart. The majority of health-care and media professionals are women, as are many judges and business owners. Schindler added that "Algeria's bloody civil war, which began twenty years ago, never really ended."[7]. You should know right from the start that Algeria is a country wracked by terrorism, and that terrorist troupes are still the cause of fear in this North African country. There is intense social discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS. Torture is sometimes used to obtain confessions from terrorist suspects and others. U.S. Citizens with emergencies, please call 0770-08-2000. [1] In 2017, Human Rights Watch reported the Algerian government had increasingly resorted to criminal prosecutions against bloggers, journalists, and media figures for peaceful speech, via articles in the country's penal code criminalising "offending the president", "insulting state officials" and "denigrating Islam", in addition to dismissing peaceful demonstrations as "unauthorised gatherings". Nationality in Algeria today is governed by the 1970 Code de la Nationalité as modified in 2005 to remove gender discrimination. This is a pity, in our view, because Algeria would not only bring many benefits to our customers, but would also enrich the country's economy. Algeria Honorary Citizenship. Reset. ALGIERS – Karim Younes, appointed on Monday a Mediator of the Republic (Ombudsman) said that this authority will work to ensure the respect of the citizens’ rights by the State institutions and local assemblies, and improve the public service, contributing thus to building a new Algeria. Outside of Algeria: 00-213 -770–08 –2000 Radio and TV, which are entirely state-owned, provide slanted coverage and deny access to opponents of the regime. The international human rights movement was strengthened when the United Nations General Assembly adopted of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on 10 December 1948. Algeria has been a military-backed republic since it achieved independence from France in 1962. There are also rules indicating how long suspects may be held without charge, These procedures are usually followed. Women receive decent medical care during pregnancy and childbirth. The minister of interior is empowered to place people under house arrest. Delegation of the European Union to Algeria. Le constitutionnaliste Massensen…, The government in Algeria is looking at a controversial law which could, if passed, be used to strip citizenship from opposition figures in exile. Algeria - Algeria - Nationalist movements: Algerian nationalism developed out of the efforts of three different groups. Women can choose their own husbands. In February, the protest movement known as Hirak (“movement” in Arabic) started, with millions of Algerians marching in overwhelmingly peaceful protests in cities across the country, calling for the “removal of everyone” linked to the ruling power. The conviction of an activist in Algeria after he distributed leaflets about unemployment in the country is a worrying sign that a new law regulating associations is being used to restrict civil society groups’ activities, Amnesty International said. now pass on their Algerian citizenship to their children. If the couple is living in Algeria, it is also possible for a foreign-born man married to an Algerian woman to acquire citizenship.4 Divorce rights. [45], Human Rights Watch complained in June 2012 about the cases of eight terror suspects who had been detained secretly for several years and who faced "trials of questionable fairness because the judges refuse to allow an important witness to testify". All inhabitants of Algeria may turn to the UN Human Rights Committee through procedure 1503, to the Special Rapporteurs for violations of specific human rights or to ECOSOC for women's rights violations. He was deprived of his family and his lawyer visits. [44] In February 2020, Algiers-based prosecutor Mohamed Sid Ahmed Belhadi was transferred to El Oued after calling for 16 Hirak protestors to be acquitted, citing their right to freedom of assembly. A culture of patronage permeates several aspects of Algeria’s economy, strengthening the practices of nepotism and the use of connections to “get things done.” Bribery and facilitation payments are also common practice, despite being criminal offenses. [43], Although Algeria's constitution stipulates that the judiciary is to be independent and provide fair trials, the president has ultimate power over the courts and defendants' rights are not always respected. A major problem, however, is that suspects are often held before trial for very long periods. Freedom of assembly, HRW noted, was "still stifled in Algiers, and inconsistently and selectively observed in the provinces". Interestingly, women play an important role here, making up 70% of Algeria's lawyers and 60% of its university students. The EU offers jobs to citizens in different ways, it also offers public contracts and provides funding in the form of grants to support projects and organisations. These 5 countries accounted for 50% of all Chinese workers in Africa at the end of 2019; Algeria alone accounts for 25%. Sarah Leah Whitson of HRW said that lifting the state of emergency had had "very little impact on civil liberties because a whole range of laws is on the books that can be just as repressive, or applied in a repressive manner". Algeria: Draft law to cancel citizenship from exiled opposition sparks anger Published: 9/Mar/2021 Source: Middle East Monitor . When the lockdown was lifted in June 2020, protests in major Algerian cities were subsequently repressed, leading to riots in Béjaïa. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both complained that members of radical Islamic groups are treated more harshly in prison than others. Since the country gained independence in 1962, public officials have continuously focused their efforts on advancing and protecting the rights of citizens. Algeria - Algeria - Colonial rule: The manner in which French rule was established in Algeria during the years 1830–47 laid the groundwork for a pattern of rule that French Algeria would maintain until independence. ALGERIA CITIZENSHIP: Citizenship is based upon the Code of Algerian Nationality, dated December 15, 1978.. BY BIRTH: Birth within the territory of Algeria does not automatically confer citizenship.The exception is a child born to unknown or stateless parents. Huge disparities in wealth exist among Algeria’s rich and poor. Berber King Masinissa who lived in ancient Algeria is still viewed as an icon and an important forefather among modern Berbers. December 2010 marked the beginning of a period of frequent and nationwide protests inspired by the so-called "Arab Spring" and sparked by widespread anger over high unemployment, a serious housing shortage, high food prices, extensive corruption, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression and other human rights. Routine Inquiries . Education through high school is free and, up to age 16, compulsory. Due to the fact that the journalists and activists criticize the ruling government, some media organizations' licenses are canceled. The CNCD planned a march in Algiers on January 21, 2011, to demand an end to the state of emergency and a restoration of democracy and freedom. 2018 saw no overall improvement in human rights conditions in Algeria. Economic Rights and Equal Opportunity: 2.8 Political Rights and Civic Voice: 3.0 Social and Cultural Rights: 2.9 (Scale of 1 to 5: 1 represents the lowest and 5 the highest level of freedom women have to exercise their rights) INTRODUCTION. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Strikes are permitted, but require government approval, and are only allowed after two weeks of mediation or conciliation. Algeria is a young country, with 1 in 4 people under the age of 15. Daughters inherit less than their brothers by law. Homes are searched without warrants. A rating of 1 is "free"; 7, "not free".[13]1. Despite s… A civil war raged from 1991 to 1999, and since its end there have been no proper official investigations into the massive human-rights violations that took place during the conflict. Algeria has been categorized by Freedom House as "not free" since it began publishing such ratings in 1972, with the exception of 1989, 1990, and 1991, when the country was labeled "partly free". Self-censorship by some journalists is common, although other journalists do not hesitate to criticize the government openly. ALGIERS – Karim Younes, appointed on Monday a Mediator of the Republic (Ombudsman) said that this authority will work to ensure the respect of the citizens’ rights by the State institutions and local assemblies, and improve the public service, contributing thus to building a new Algeria. Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara), Déchéance de nationalité : « Le pouvoir tente d’opposer les Algériens d’Algérie aux Algériens de la diaspora », Algeria: Draft law to cancel citizenship from exiled opposition sparks anger, Algérie: Réunion du gouvernement: examen d’un avant-projet de loi et de quatre projets de décrets exécutifs, L’Algérie prépare une loi sur la déchéance de la nationalité à l’encontre de la diaspora algérienne, Acquisition de la nationalité algérienne : la longue course d’obstacles, Conditions d’accès à la nationalité algérienne : Zeghmati s’exprime, Algérie: retrait à distance de documents d’état civil : démarrage difficile, Algérie: La Présidence confirme que Chaabna ne fait pas partie du gouvernement : Imbroglio autour d’une nomination, Algerian President Sacks Minister Who Refused to Give Up French Nationality, En Algérie, la «nationalité marocaine» d’Abdelkader Bensalah fait de nouveau polémique. If you have a routine inquiry about American Citizens Services in Algeria, please email us at: ACSAlgiers@state.gov. Similarly, although the constitution guarantees free movement, this, too, is restricted in practice. Men can marry up to four women, although this is supposedly allowed only if the first wife approves and if the man can afford it. The constitution also guarantees freedom of speech and of the press, but with various caveats. Pressure is exerted by the government on the news media, largely by arresting journalists for defamation, which is defined broadly and punished harshly under Algerian law. Forced labor is prohibited. Since its independence from France in 1962, Algeria has pursued an activist foreign policy. Outside of Office Hours, contact: 888-407-4747. A transient, nearly rootless society has emerged, whose cultural continuity has been deeply undermined. Overcrowding is a widespread problem, as are poor lighting, ventilation, food, and hygiene. In the early months of 1956 a majority of French citizens took greater notice of deteriorating French control in Algeria, sensitivity already typical of Languedoc citizens. In 2016, real GDP grew by 3.5% down from 3.8% recorded the previous year on account of lower oil price. The 1963 nationality code gave French-born persons resident in Algeria were given the right to naturalise, providing they renounced their French nationality; however, the vast majority chose to leave. Algeria Religion, Economy and Politics. "[46], As a rule, prison conditions are below international standards, and human-rights groups are not allowed to inspect many facilities. (3) The right to rest is guaranteed; the law defines the relevant clauses. The First Algerian Constitution was adopted in September, 1962. [3] Despite this, Human Rights Watch reported in 2021 that the Algerian government continued to arrest and imprison protestors, activists, and journalists from the Hirak movement, alongside amending the country's consitution to restrict freedom of speech and further curtail judicial independence.[4]. Where an applicant is married to an Algerian citizen, the acquisition of citizenship is subject to proof that the marriage is legal and established for three years, the individual in question has had lawful residence in Algeria of at least 2 years, is of good character, and is able to justify livelihood. The legal framework criminalizes a large range of corruption offenses, but enforc… Nationality and Statelessness Among Persons of Western Saharan Origin; Filter. On 2 April, Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned as president after 20 years in power. Women are discriminated against in employment. Before the protests, Algerian citizens were largely disengaged from the political process, with just 20 percent stating an interest in politics. It implies the right of each individual to acquire, change and retain a nationality. however, the Algerian government is helping the workers with benefits. These cases, according to HRW, underscore "the continuing obstacles faced by those charged with terrorist offenses, even after authorities lifted a state of emergency in 2011, to obtaining justice that is both prompt and fair". Unfortunately there is currently no Honorary Citizenship Algeria. According to Article 97 of the penal code, organizing or participating in an unauthorized gathering, even if it is peaceful, is regarding a crime and imposes a penalty of up to one year in prison. [35] Police join in on the attacks,[36] are complicit, or turn a blind eye. C’est ce qu’a indiqué, hier, un communiqué du Premier ministère. Taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis and the resulting halt to the protests, the authorities adopted draconian and vaguely-worded laws in order to clamp down even more on press freedom. All inhabitants of Algeria may turn to the UN Human Rights Committee through procedure 1503, to the Special Rapporteurs for violations of specific human rights or to ECOSOC for women's rights violations. Freedom of expression, association, and assembly were severely restricted, and many individuals were arrested without charge and held without trial. [2], Bouteflika resigned in 2019 after months of protests following him stating his intention to run for a fifth term as president. Drafted as ‘a common standard of achievement for all peoples and nations', … Un projet de loi qui pourrait inquiéter la diaspora algérienne,…, Malgré quelques avancées enregistrées ces dernières années, l’acquisition de la nationalité algérienne relève souvent du parcours du combattant pour les étrangers qui en font la demande. U.S. Citizens with emergencies, please call 0770-08-2000. Demonstrations have been banned in Algiers since 2000. Algerian academics require official approval before attending conferences abroad, and are often denied that approval. The state of emergency was lifted in February 2011, but extensive restrictions on human rights remain. Member State of the Arab League. The…, Un dirigeant du Front islamique algérien pour la justice et le développement (FJD) a créé la polémique, en déclarant que l’actuel président du Conseil de la nation, la première chambre du parlement algérien, ne pourrait pas diriger le pays si…. HRW noted that while the state of emergency had technically been lifted February 2011, security forces were still enforcing "repressive laws on public gatherings, including a ban on gatherings in Algiers". The freedom to move to another EU country to work without need for a work permit is a right granted to EU nationals. Algeria was declared an integral part of French territory and French citizens in Algeria were able to elect deputies to the Assembly in Paris. Algerians however were made into automatic French subjects and were not given the same rights as the pied noirs. In cities, women are encouraged to seek an education, and more girls than boys actually make it through secondary school. Still, the protest went on, with authorities estimating the number of participants at 800 and the organizers estimating the number at 2000. Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa - Algeria There is a low minimum wage, but enforcement of it is inconsistent. (2) The right for protection security and hygiene at work is guaranteed by the law. The right to legal representation, and to government-paid counsel if one cannot afford to pay, is respected. [10], In April 2019, president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who had been in the role since 1999, resigned following mass protests after he announced his intention to run for a fifth term. Married women cannot travel abroad without their husbands' permission. There are limits on travel to and through the country's southern provinces. The government in Algeria is looking at a controversial law which could, if passed, be used to strip citizenship from opposition figures in exile. [21], In May 2012, HRW complained that the Algerian government had been using "arrests and other tactics to keep people from demonstrating in the capital in the period leading up to the May 10, 2012 elections". The National Coordination Committee for Change and Democracy (CNCD) is an umbrella group of opposition parties, unions, and human-rights groups that was formed in January 2011 in the wake of the violent suppression of protests in which several people were killed and hundreds injured or arrested.[8]. The limited reforms introduced under the Statute of Algeria (1947) granted Algerian men full citizenship in mainland France and instituted unregulated passage between Algeria and France. Against recent scholarship that has examined Algerian women’s roles as partisans in the colonial war (1954-62), this article highlights a small but diverse segment of women who entered into the politics of decolonization as French citizens rather than as anticolonial nationalists. Internet access is usually not a problem, although the government monitors e-mail accounts and chat rooms. The Protestant Church of Algeria has been particularly targeted, with eighteen of their churches shut down between November, 2017 and October, 2019. Article 56 [Unions] The trade union right is recognized to all citizens. Collective bargaining is permitted. now pass on their Algerian citizenship to their children. ALGIERS- The Mediator of the Republic Office and the National Human Rights ... which will facilitate the right sorting out of requests made by citizens." In 2011, Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who had been in power since 1999, lifted a state of emergency that had been in place since the end of the Algerian Civil War in 2002, as a result of the Arab Spring protests that had occurred throughout the Arab world. Algeria has helped some such individuals from sub-Saharan Africa while turning away many others. These restrictions, which are used to limit the activities of opposition political parties and other opponents of the regime, are among the major human-rights problems in Algeria. Academic conferences and the like are sometimes subject to governmental interference, with visas sometimes being denied to foreign scholars who have been invited to participate in such events. [9] Many protesters were beaten and cameras confiscated. [5] To the extent that there is democracy in today's Algeria, it is founded in three pieces of legislation: Free elections were held in the country beginning in 1988, but a victory by the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the 1991 parliamentary ballot sparked a military coup d'état and the imposition, in February 1992, of a state of emergency under which basic human rights were suspended. Algeria is not a signatory of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Algeria’s New Law on Associations Being Used to Stifle Civil Society. The government of Algeria will also offer temporary passports to travel to countries that do not recognize SADR in some cases, but these do not confer the same rights as citizenship. [40] In 2020, 17, 000 mostly sub-Saharan migrants were expelled from the country, including some asylum seekers. He was sentenced two years and started his hunger the same day. [28], There is no organized system of adoption in Algeria, and orphans and other children are placed with guardians in accordance with the so-called "Kafala" system, under which the children are in a "precarious" situation, with very little in the way of individual rights, according to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. The right to a nationality is a fundamental human right. discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS, "Le Président Tebboune assure que le Hirak est un phénomène salutaire et me en garde contre toute tentative d'infiltration", "World Report 2021: Rights Trends in Algeria", "Defying a ban, protesters rally in heavily policed Algiers", "Algeria: Repression of resumed Hirak in several cities, riots in Béjaïa | The North Africa Post", "Country ratings and status, FIW 1973-2012", "Freedom in the World 2013: Democratic Breakthroughs in the Balance", "International Religious Freedom Report for 2011", "Algeria: Crackdown on Protest as Election Nears", "Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women", "Le phénomène du féminicide prend de l'ampleur en Algérie - Algerie360", http://ilga.org/downloads/2017/ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2017_WEB.pdf, https://www.humandignitytrust.org/country-profile/algeria/, https://www.refworld.org/docid/474e895c1e.html, "Le ministre de l'Intérieur annonce une intensification des contrôles et le démantèlement des réseaux d'accueil : Nouvelle opération de rapatriement des migrants subsahariens | El Watan", "Algeria: One Year On, Activists Languish in Jail", "Algeria: Long Delays Tainting Terrorism Trials", "Algeria must stop crushing dissent by imprisoning journalists and activists", Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Human_rights_in_Algeria&oldid=1018537032, Articles needing expert attention with no reason or talk parameter, Articles needing expert attention from January 2013, Human rights articles needing expert attention, Algeria articles needing expert attention, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from August 2020, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Library of Congress Country Studies, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, The Political Parties Act (1989, amended 1997), which allowed multiple political parties, The Associations Act (1987, amended 1990), which permitted establishment of associations, The Information Act (1990), which paved the way for independent news media, This page was last edited on 18 April 2021, at 16:11.