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3 clusters · 9 sources · 12 days · First seen · Last updated

Human rights concerns in Tindouf camps

Overview

During the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, non-governmental organizations raised multiple alarms regarding the humanitarian and human rights situation in the Tindouf camps in southwestern Algeria.

Initial reports from the NGO Promotion du développement économique et social (PDES) focused on the risks of human trafficking and modern slavery. Activist Aïcha Duihi noted that poverty, marginalization, and limited access to justice increase vulnerability to exploitation, particularly for women and children. PDES has since called for the establishment of a credible registration and documentation system, noting that residents currently rely on identification issued exclusively by an internal camp center. PDES urged Algeria to enhance cooperation with the UNHCR to create a trustworthy pathway for documentation to support long-term protection as displacement becomes protracted across generations.

Subsequent reports from Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights, and the African Network for Development, Governance and Human Rights, expanded the scope of allegations to include the Polisario Front. These organizations cited arbitrary detentions, torture, enforced disappearances, and restrictions on peaceful protests. They also highlighted severe limitations on freedom of movement, noting that residents have been subject to a curfew since 2013 and require permits to leave. Furthermore, concerns were raised regarding the withholding of food aid and the inability of UN human rights experts to access the camps for independent evaluations.

Entities

Tindouf camps · United Nations Human Rights Council · Aïcha Duihi · Promotion du développement économique et social · UN Human Rights Council

Timeline

  1. [INTERNATIONAL] 3 sources
    PDES calls for refugee registration in Tindouf camps

    The NGO PDES has urged Algeria and the UNHCR to establish a credible registration and documentation system for refugees in the Tindouf camps to ensure long-term protection and access to rights.

  2. [INTERNATIONAL] 3 sources
    NGOs alert UN Human Rights Council to violations in Tindouf camps

    NGOs at the UN Human Rights Council have called for independent investigations into the Tindouf camps, alleging torture, arbitrary detention, and severe restrictions on movement by the Polisario Front.

  3. [INTERNATIONAL] 3 sources
    Tindouf camps: NGO alerts UN Human Rights Council to trafficking risks

    The NGO PDES alerted the UN Human Rights Council to the risks of human trafficking and slavery facing women and children in the Tindouf camps due to prolonged displacement and limited access to justice.

Sources

achkayen.com · ar.hibapress.com · assabah.ma · europesays.com · hnews.ma · infomaroc.net · lenouvelliste.ma · maroc24.com · msalkhir.com

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history