Human Trafficking in [Algeria] [other countries]
Street Children in [Algeria] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Algeria] [other countries]
 

Prevalence, Abuse & Exploitation of Street Children

Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

The Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria [map] is located on the NW coast of Africa, and is bordered by Mauritania, Western Sahara, & Morocco (W), by the Mediterranean Sea (N), by Tunisia & Libya (E), and by Niger & Mali (S). Algiers is its capital and largest city. Since 1998, Algeria has experienced notable political and socio-economic changes. The Government has made peace and stability its political priority. Thousands of people have disarmed and were pardoned or granted amnesty. Violence has declined and the security situation has improved, but it remains precarious. Isolated terrorist acts continue to affect the population, in particular women and children.

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Algeria. Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated or even false.  No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

Quick Search for Missing Children - Select Gender, Country (Algeria), and Years Missing

UNICEF - The Big Picture

Bur of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005

CHILDREN - The government provides free education for children through high school. Free education is compulsory until the age of 16. The most recent figures released by the Ministry of National Education show that in 2004, more than 90 percent of children completed the ninth grade, on average the highest grade level normally attained by students. Boys and girls generally received the same education, although rural girls were slightly more likely to leave school because of familial financial reasons, and sons were often given educational priority. Economic necessity compelled many children to resort to informal employment, such as street vending.

SECTION 6 WORKER RIGHTS – [d] No child labor was reported in the industrial sector; however, economic necessity compelled many children to resort to informal employment. Many children worked part time or full time in small workshops, on family farms, and in informal trade. A report from the Ministry of National Solidarity in 2004 stated that more than 25,000 children between the ages of 6 and 14 were working in the informal economy.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2005

[76] The Committee takes note of the findings of a study conducted in 2001 that children
become street children due to socio-economic problems, such as poor housing, unemployment and poverty, and family problems, such as domestic violence and abuse, and it is concerned that these root causes of the phenomenon of street children are not sufficiently addressed. In addition, the Committee is concerned about street children's limited access to adequate nutrition, clothing, housing, social and health services and education and their vulnerability to economic and sexual exploitation.

Algeria aims to defend children's rights

In an attempt to tackle juvenile delinquency, the government has decided that the best solution is to reintroduce offending children into schools. It has thus planned to establish a child protection research and monitoring centre, to be overseen by the Ministry of Employment and Solidarity. Employment Ministry General Secretary Abdellah Bouchenak announced that "this centre will gather data from all 48 wilayas on matters such as the situation of street children, and will also clarify the sociological, psychological and medical aspects of the care these children need." This will make it possible to "improve and step up efforts to provide special care for this group in society."

In a bid to reintegrate children into the schooling system, the government has introduced vocational training for pupils who have dropped out. Only 200,000 seats were made available in the programme, well below the approximately 450,000 children who abandoned their studies last year. Additionally, attendance is not mandatory for vocational training, which makes it more difficult to recruit students in large numbers.

Information About Street Children - Algeria [DOC]

A lack of cohesion between family members was a particularly common reason, and three-quarters of the children interviewed said this was their main reason for leaving. Violence appeared to be widespread, with over 60% of them admitting being victims of violence within their families.

EU-Funded Initiative to Help Algeria’s Children

On the phenomenon of street children in Algeria, Khayati said a polytechnic agricultural school is to be established in two months to educate the street children, calling for combating such a phenomenon and rehabilitating those kids to join the labor market.

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Human Trafficking in [Algeria] [other countries]
Street Children in [Algeria] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [Algeria] [other countries]