Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, during a visit to Bechar on April 26th, announced plans to regularize the status of certain undocumented sub-Saharan migrants employed in sectors facing labor shortages, particularly agriculture.
However, this unprecedented announcement of potential regularization stands in stark contrast to Algeria’s continued and often harsh deportation practices, raising serious questions about the consistency of the nation’s migration policies.
President Tebboune’s statement marks a notable shift in official rhetoric, which had previously remained silent on the possibility of legal employment for this segment of the migrant population. Theoretically, the Head of State’s remarks could pave the way for granting work permits to eligible migrants, provided their residency status is regularized according to existing legal frameworks.
Nevertheless, the Algerian daily El Watan highlights that current Algerian law imposes stringent residency requirements for accessing formal employment. This announcement also comes at a time when migrant expulsions, frequently reported as brutal, are continuing at a rapid pace.
According to the NGO Alarme Phone Sahara, over 4,000 individuals were forcibly returned to Niger in April 2025. These expelled migrants were reportedly abandoned at “Point Zero” in the desert, left to fend for themselves and forced to walk to the Assamaka transit center.
Eyewitness accounts detail instances of violence, arbitrary detentions, and the fatal abandonment of migrants in the harsh conditions of the Sahara Desert.
The treatment of migrants is increasingly becoming a critical issue that could significantly impact Algeria’s credibility on both the African and international stages, as the apparent contradiction between potential regularization and ongoing deportations draws scrutiny.
SL/Sf/ac/fss/abj/APA