Written by: Margaret Czarnik, Bartosz Mirowski
Analysis briefly:
– Algeria is the main country of origin of immigrants in France
– The number of Algerians trying to legally or illegally enter the EU has remained advanced for years
– Illegal migration to the EU is called ‘harraga’ in Algeria, which virtually means ‘those who burn’. However, a number decides on it. Most Algerians, at least initially, choose legal migration.
Causes of migration
The decisions on emigration from Algeria are most frequently motivated by economical considerations. The Algerian economy depends on the prices of hydrocarbons on global markets: 80% of its GDP comes from gas exports to EU associate States. The deficiency of additional gross sources leads to the state being incapable to meet the needs of a rapidly increasing population. Between 2014 and 2020, the population of Algeria increased from 38.8 million to 44.9 million. In the same period, GDP decreased from $213.8 billion to $195 billion. Dol. Between 2018 and 2021, the number of people surviving below the poorness line increased by 600 000. and since 2021 inflation has been constantly in the area. 8%. The unemployment rate is about 15% of the full population and 30% of the adolescents. The average wage of workers is 317 USD..which does not let the rent of an flat on its own, and many men make it hard for them to find a partner curious in marriage.
In accordance with the global Organisation for Migration (IOM) test 30% of Algerian respondents in 2021 considered going abroad.
Other test conducted by the IOM in 2020, it showed that 83% of the working Algerians declared to be working abroad or to be willing to go abroad for commercial purposes. In the country, there is simply a developed social construction strategy – akin to the 1 in the Polish People's Republic – but usually it takes respective years to get an apartment.
Social and cultural factors besides influence the decision to leave. The dominant religion in the country is Islam, which professes about 98% of Algerians. The preamble to the Algerian Constitution states that it is an essential component of the country's identity. Since 1984, the country has besides had a strong spiritual household code. According to him, extramarital sex is simply a crime of adultery, for which he is facing 2 years in prison. In practice, the only way to prove this crime is by an illegitimate child. To get free of this evidence, women have illegal abortions or abandoned newborns in clinics. In addition to legal issues, there is besides strong parental control over adults, especially women. Therefore, many people want to leave Algeria to live in the EU according to their own rules.
Legal migration
Legal migration is the primary way to scope Algerians in the EU. Between 2014 and 2023 Algerians submitted 5.6 million visa applications to the consulates of EU associate States. Most – 779,000 applications were submitted in 2017 and in 2023 the number was 474,000. The number of refusals issued annually by consulates varies between 24% and 45%. It has shown an upward trend since 2022 erstwhile France introduced a mandatory refusal amount for Algerians. It was set at 50% regardless of whether or not it meets the criteria. 60% of visa applications are submitted to the French consulate and 27% to the Spanish consulate. The another most besieged facilities are the consulates of Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Malta, Switzerland, Poland and Greece. In fact, however, the aim of around 80% of applicants is to travel to France and submit applications to another consulates, due to the fact that they do not apply the amount of refusals and it is easier to get a visa decision within a short period of time. The main objectives of the journey to the EU are: visiting relatives, tourism, taking up studies, working or gathering with suppliers of goods imported into the Algerian market.
Obtaining a visa is simply a life precedence for many under 40. However, this is not easy due to the comparatively advanced demands of consulates. People under the age of 40 are very carefully verified. They must prove that they have adequate funds to finance the journey and have families, jobs and assets in Algeria that will discourage them from staying in the EU after the visa expires. In the case of spouses, you frequently get only 1 of them, and in the case of full families you usually do not issue visas to children. These criteria are mitigated at subsequent visa applications by persons who have documented return from erstwhile trips. At the same time, however, any refusal or misconduct is recorded in a peculiar application to which all EU associate States' consulate staff have access. A individual who erstwhile obtained a refusal has a problem with obtaining a visa in each consulate. The first visa is usually issued for 10 days and 3 more for 3 months. Only later does the anticipation of obtaining a visa per year with multiple entries appear.
Various, frequently very creative activities are utilized to extort visas. Applicants can, for example, set up a company and present false import invoices. Employers besides sometimes make contact with a possible abroad investor or exporter and convince him to train their 20 employees. After obtaining a visa, the indicated persons either do not appear at the company's premises or participate in training only to go to their relatives in France after the visa has been completed. In turn, their Algerian employers charge respective 1000 euros to each individual listed. It is besides common to search social and even sexual contacts with Europeans in order to get a affirmative visa decision.
Illegal migration
There are 2 migration routes across Algeria: West-Mediterranean and Central-Mediterranean. The Middle-Mediterranean way leads through Tunisia to Italy. On the another hand, the Western-Mediterranean way passes through Morocco or Western Algeria and leads to Spain.
From the beginning of 2009 to May 2024, a full of 78,649 Algerians took advantage of both routes, of which 65,909 chose the Western-Mediterranean way and 12,740 decided to take the Central-Mediterranean way to Italy.
The 3rd most popular way for the adopted scope is the East-Mediterranean way through Libya, Egypt, the mediate East and Turkey to Greece – 18,234 people. Since 2017, its importance has fallen. Between 2009 and 2024, 101 000 Algerians illegally reached the EU, almost half of them in years 2019-2023.
Algeria is besides chosen by citizens of another African countries, mainly Guinea, Mali, Chad, Niger, Benin and Côte d'Ivoire. The Algerian government decided to counter illegal departures from the country and decided to penalize them. As of 2009, the Algerian penal code provides for a punishment of 2 to six months imprisonment, as well as a fine of 20,000 to 60,000 dinars (about 140 to 430 euros). It is subject to Algerians and resident foreigners who will be caught trying to leave the territory without a passport or visa.
Many irregular migrants die while travelling. In 2023 over 3,000 people drowned in the Mediterranean. advanced mortality among migrants has become 1 way of earning money by smugglers. Desperate families trying to find their dead relatives go to people who claim to know where the bodies they search are. They know they'll share the right fee.
The main destination is France, where they live almost 3 million persons of Algerian origin.
The direct distance to France is significant, so they choose a much shorter way to the coasts of Spain. They then head for France by land. They may be detained at any time by the Spanish police or by the Coast Guard.
In early October 2021, 3 Algerian migrants died and 1 was seriously injured. They were hit by a train close Saint-Jean-de-Luz in southwest France. According to local authorities, men rested on the tracks to avoid police. They were amazed by their first morning train.
Conclusions and perspectives
In the face of low chances of surviving on a level that allows for independency from parents, young Algerians and young Algerians set emigration as their primary goal of life. They most frequently choose France, due to the common cognition of French and frequent household ties with the people of Algeria.
However, Algeria, unlike most African countries, provides any social minimums for its citizens, so the number of people who decide on risky illegal migration is comparatively small. Most Algerians see their chance in legal migration or migration initially legal, which turns into illegal erstwhile a individual does not return to the country after the visa expires.
Migration in Algeria has been decreasing in fresh years, but will proceed until the socio-economic situation of the country improves or until the trend of advanced natural growth has reversed.
It is so in the interest of the EU to establish clear criteria for migrants to meet the needs of the EU labour market. Moreover, due to demographic problems in the EU, it seems reasonable to issue more visas to single women under 40.
