Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has issued a public appeal to young Algerians living abroad in precarious and irregular conditions, urging them to regularise their status through Algerian authorities and return to their homeland under a newly announced exceptional measure.
The appeal was made during a Council of Ministers meeting held on January 11, where President Tebboune outlined steps aimed at easing the return of nationals who left Algeria through irregular migration routes, commonly known as harga. Many of these young people, he noted, now face harsh living conditions, legal insecurity, and the risk of exploitation in host countries.
According to an official statement from the Algerian Presidency, President Tebboune addressed young Algerians abroad who are living without legal status after being “deliberately misled by individuals who believed they could harm the credibility of the state by instrumentalising them against their country.” The statement emphasised that many of those concerned had not committed serious crimes but had fled due to relatively minor issues, such as fear of a police summons or questioning related to public order.
The President stressed that such circumstances do not justify prolonged suffering abroad and warned that irregular migrants are often vulnerable to criminal networks, human traffickers, and organised crime. He described the new measure as both humanitarian and corrective, designed to restore dignity and provide a pathway for reintegration into Algerian society.
However, the initiative explicitly excludes individuals involved in serious criminal activity. Those convicted of violent crimes, drug trafficking, arms dealing, or collaboration with foreign security services seeking to undermine Algeria’s interests are not eligible to benefit from the measure.
Under the new directive, eligible Algerian nationals are encouraged to approach Algerian consulates in their countries of residence to begin the regularisation process. Consular services will assist with administrative procedures, including the issuance of new passports where required. Applicants must provide a written commitment not to reoffend, after which consulates will oversee arrangements for their return to Algeria.
The government has described the decision as an exceptional measure intended to allow affected individuals to return without fear of disproportionate punishment for minor infractions. Officials suggest that the initiative could potentially apply to tens of thousands of Algerians, particularly in Europe, where irregular migration from Algeria has increased in recent years. France and Spain are believed to host significant numbers of Algerian nationals living without legal status.
The announcement has drawn particular attention in France, where migration cooperation between Paris and Algiers remains a sensitive issue. Observers note that the measure could provide an alternative pathway for some Algerians facing expulsion orders, although the practical details of coordination between both countries remain unclear.
Relations between Algeria and France have been strained in recent months, with tensions heightened by disputes over deportations, the treatment of Algerian nationals abroad, and the jailing of opposition figures with links to France. Algerian authorities have repeatedly resisted accepting the return of nationals deemed dangerous by French authorities, further complicating bilateral ties.
Despite these diplomatic frictions, the Algerian government has framed the current initiative as a sovereign decision rooted in humanitarian concern, national responsibility, and the desire to protect vulnerable citizens from exploitation abroad while offering them a chance to rebuild their lives at home.
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