6th October 2013 Human Rights Watch Algerian authorities have increasingly clamped down on efforts to form independent unions and to organize and participate in peaceful protests and worker strikes. Authorities have blocked demonstrations, arbitrarily arrested trade unionists, and prosecuted some of them on criminal charges which appear to have little basis in fact or are based on the peaceful exercise of their union activities. Most recently, on September 29, 2013, the police violently dispersed a peaceful protest organized by the Contractual Workers Union in front of the government compound in Algiers and arrested 20 people, then released them later in Read the full article…

United States Department of State 19 June 2013 Algeria is a transit and, to a lesser extent, a destination and source country for women and, to a lesser extent, men, subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Most commonly, sub-Saharan African men and women enter Algeria voluntarily but illegally, often with the assistance of smugglers, for the purpose of traveling to Europe. Some of these women may be forced into prostitution. Criminal networks, which sometimes extend to sub-Saharan Africa and to Europe, are involved in smuggling and human trafficking. The “chairmen,” or leaders, of the “African villages” – small non-Algerian Read the full article…

Amnesty International Annual Report 2012: the state of the world’s human rights Published 24 May 2012 The government lifted the nationwide state of emergency in force since 1992, but maintained tight restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly, and on practising religious beliefs. The security forces used excessive force in dispersing some demonstrations and in response to instances of rioting; several people were killed. Detainees remained at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Women continued to face discrimination in law and in practice and to be inadequately protected against gender-based violence, including within the family. No steps were taken Read the full article…

The Huffington Post 7th March 2012 Seven Algerians fighting deportation from the UK on grounds of national security won Supreme Court appeals today. The ruling in their favour by the highest court in the land follows a defeat in the Court of Appeal in 2010 when judges rejected challenges in which they claimed they would be at risk of inhuman and degrading treatment if deported. The Algerian nationals, all “suspected terrorists”, brought cases against decisions of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac), which in each case upheld a decision by the Home Secretary to deport on the grounds of national Read the full article…

Home Office, UK Border Agency 3 November 2011 This Country of Origin Information (COI) Report has been produced by the COI Service, United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA), for use by officials involved in the asylum/human rights determination process. The Report provides general background information about the issues most commonly raised in asylum/human rights claims made in the United Kingdom. The main body of the report includes information available up to 24 October 2011. The report was issued on 3 November 2011. Full report here