The relationships between the Morocco et Algeria remain marked by decades of diplomatic and territorial tensions. The closure of the land borders between the two countries, effective since 1994, reflects these deep differences, particularly on the question of Sahara occidental. This situation has had numerous consequences on border populations, trade and migratory movements. Attempts at rapprochement have often failed, with each country accusing the other of hindering the normalization of bilateral relations.
An exceptional opening for repatriation
On January 15, 2025, a temporary breach opened in this invisible wall separating the two nations. The Algerian authorities repatriated 36 young Moroccans through the border posts of Zouj Bghal and Colonel Lotfi. These migrants, from various Moroccan cities such as Fez, Oujda, Berkane and Tangier, had attempted to illegally cross the Algerian borders. Their journey ended with prison sentences, followed for some by more than five months of administrative detention.
The lingering shadow of the missing
The Association Helps Migrants in Vulnerable Situations (AEMSV) brought this issue to the international stage during the first World Congress on Enforced Disappearances in Geneva. Their estimates reveal that 483 Moroccans are currently missing, imprisoned or detained in Algeria. These figures underline the scale of a little-known humanitarian crisis, also affecting Algerian families. A particularly poignant case concerns the remains of two young girls from the eastern region, whose families are still awaiting repatriation.
-The challenges of fragile standardization
The repatriation process faces numerous technical and procedural obstacles. Hundreds of young people remain in administrative detention, waiting for their turn to return to their country. AEMSV continues its work to facilitate the expulsion of other detainees and elucidate the fate of the missing. This situation illustrates the persistent difficulties in managing migratory flows between the two countries, despite these rare moments of openness. The occasional collaboration between the Moroccan and Algerian authorities for these repatriations nevertheless represents a modest step towards a possible improvement in bilateral relations, although the path towards complete normalization remains strewn with pitfalls.
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