Traditionally seen as a country of emigration, Algeria has increasingly become both a destination and a transit country for a large number of migrants, particularly those from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East – two regions grappling with economic decline, armed conflicts, and climate-related crises. Immigration to Algerian territory has also increased as a result of strengthened cooperation between the European Union (EU) and North African countries, which has made crossing the Mediterranean more difficult. This has forced many migrants to flee increasingly inhospitable countries such as Tunisia and Libya, leading them to settle in Algeria – either temporarily or more permanently. Algeria is not merely a fallback destination; for some migrants, it offers hospitality and economic opportunity. For others, however, the experience is defined by extreme poverty and repeated rights violations. This policy brief examines the diversity of experiences encountered by migrants on Algerian territory, shaped by the intersection of three major factors:

• The migration policies and practices implemented by Algerian authorities,
• The ambiguous role of the informal sector in the integration process,
• The diversity of migrant profiles and the support they receive from various solidarity networks.

Historically, Morocco was primarily a country of emigration. However, the rise of transit and settlement migration in the late 1990s prompted the adoption of political and legal frameworks aimed at regulating mobility. Initial policies were largely security-driven, but between 2014 and 2017, Morocco briefly shifted toward a more integration-oriented approach, only to return to a more repressive stance after 2018. Based on four field surveys conducted in Morocco and a documentary, this policy brief examines the evolution of migration policies under the influence of three key factors:

• The rise in transit and settlement migration
• The involvement of civil society in supporting migrants
• The geopolitical dynamics between Morocco, the EU, and Spain

The three countries of the Central Maghreb — Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia — have long been countries of emigration. However, over the past few decades, they have also become destinations and transit hubs for migration to Europe. Although Maghreb states have undertaken significant reforms to adapt their legislation and institutions to these evolving migration dynamics, their policies remain marked by deep contradictions. On the one hand, they respond to the demands of their European partners by enforcing strict border control measures. On the other, they must address domestic social and economic pressures, as well as humanitarian concerns. While these policies remain primarily driven by security objectives, migrants face numerous violations of their fundamental rights, as well as violence and discrimination – all of which heighten their vulnerability and hinder their integration into these countries. This policy brief sets out some national, regional and international recommendations.

The interviews, conducted by a team of researchers from the Center for Research in Applied Economics for Development, fall within the MADAR work package, which addresses the issue of the integration of migrants into the informal economy in Algeria. This booklet has been prepared in collaboration with researchers and photographic artists. The booklet collects accounts and photos of immigrants of different nationalities. The migrants expressed their appreciation for the initiative and saw it as a way to express their opinions. They shared their experiences regarding migration, its causes, arriving in Algeria, and the process of searching for work.

The study deals with Sub-Saharan migrant women’s access to reproductive health rights in Oran and Bechar. It sets out to assess the state of sub-Saharan migrant women’s reproductive health in Algeria, through a description of their health and an exploration of the social rationales that come into play and influence access to reproductive healthcare. This could reinforce civil society actors’ ability to act and encourage healthcare professionals to provide care without stigma or discrimination against migrant people.

This is a summary of the study. To read the full study in French, click here.

Sousse, the third-largest city in Tunisia, is a sanctuary for migrants who have encountered violence and discrimination and is notable for its municipality’s progressive stance on migration management. This research report seeks to fill a research gap on the experience of migrants and refugees in Sousse and provide an evidence base to better support these populations. It draws on surveys with 200 Sub-Saharan African migrants and refugees, and qualitative interviews and focus group discussions with Sub-Saharan African, Arab, and European refugees, migrants, and local key stakeholders.

Please click here to download the report from the Mixed Migration Centre website:

To access the full article please click on the link below:

https://doi.org/10.1332/27523349Y2023D000000001

*Abstract*

This article contributes to debates on international collaborations by examining contradictions between the decolonial turn and the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund which imposed Global North leadership on Global South partners. Through the lenses of compromise and complicity, the article explores how collaborators strive to work together equitably within the constraints of a UK government Official Development Assistance funding scheme. Drawing on focus group discussions with members of a research team, the article traces, first, their engagement with political and institutional constraints and, second, their articulation of collaborative compromise and productive complicity. The article foregrounds the generative potential of complicity as a productive concept that can help partners to navigate the challenges of interdependence and partnership entailed in North–South, South–South, cross-sector and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The report was researched, produced and written by a team of five researchers/field actors consisting of: two leading researchers, Abdeslam ZIOU ZIOU, anthropologist and independent researcher, and Mehdi AZDEM, D. in cultural communication and expert in cultural policy issues, who have worked for the last ten years within several Moroccan NGOs that campaign for human and cultural rights. Three junior researchers: Abdessamad KHADIRI, PhD student in urban sociology at Tetouan University who is interested in urban sustainability, Oumayma AGHZERE, a master’s student in anthropology at Laval University, and Younes TALAA, an associative actor and social worker, working with migrants and refugees at an NGO in the city of Tangier.

The project was conceived by Dr Sébastien Bachelet (University of Manchester) and Prof. Laura Jeffery (University of Edinburgh), both researchers in social anthropology, and supervised by Dounia Benslimane, a consultant on cultural projects development.