Algeria has been questioned about the expulsion of thousands of Moroccans residing legally and for many years in Algeria. This was during the interactive dialogue of the UN Committee on Migrant Workers in Geneva, Switzerland on 28 March 2023.
The committee is a treaty body in charge of the implementation by States of the Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families. This session was occasioned by an examination of a report, at which the expert of the Committee, Mrs. Fatima Diallo, denounced Algeria on the expulsions.
Indeed, Miss Diallo pointed out that thousands of Moroccan migrants were expelled from Algeria in 1975, and wondered, in particular about the measures that had been taken for the restitution of their property by Algeria and their compensation.
As part of this dialogue, the Director of Global Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Mr. Ismail Chekkori, while thanking the expert for the interest shown in this question, which constitutes a human and humanitarian tragedy, saw Algeria arbitrarily expel 45,000 families in the middle of the Eid-il-Adha religious festival.
The Moroccan official added that the national response was part of national solidarity, which had enabled the professional integration and access of Moroccans arbitrarily expelled from Algeria to social services.
Nevertheless, he stressed that, given the current context of Morocco’s relations with Algeria, marked by the unilateral Algerian decision to break off diplomatic relations with Morocco, he asked the UN Committee to examine this issue with the necessary attention, so that justice is done.