Algeria has been criticised by the UN Committee on Migrant Workers for its arbitrary expulsion of tens of thousands of Moroccans.

During the interactive dialogue of the Committee on Migrant Workers, a treaty body in charge of examining the implementation by States of the Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families, held on March 28, with the delegation of the Kingdom of Morocco in Geneva, following the presentation of its report, the expert of the said Committee, Fatima Diallo, questioned Algeria on the issue of expulsion of thousands of Moroccans, residing legally and for many years, in Algeria.

Indeed, Ms Diallo pointed out that thousands of Moroccan migrants were expelled from Algeria in 1975, and wondered, in particular about the measures that had been taken for the restitution of their property by Algeria and their compensation.

As part of the dialogue, the Director of Global Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Ismail Chekkori, and while thanking the expert for the interest shown in this question, which constitutes a human and humanitarian tragedy, saw Algeria arbitrarily expel 45,000 families in the middle of the Aid el Adha religious festival.

The Moroccan official added that the national response was part of national solidarity, which had enabled the professional integration and access of Moroccans arbitrarily expelled from Algeria to social services.

Nevertheless, he stressed that, given the current context of Morocco's relations with Algeria, marked by the unilateral Algerian decision to break off diplomatic relations with Morocco, he asked the UN Committee to examine this issue with the necessary attention, so that justice is done.