UN Condemns Collective Expulsions of Migrants From Algeria

 

United Nations officials are calling on Algeria to stop the collective expulsions of thousands of migrants. The migrants are mainly from sub-Saharan Africa.

The U.N. Human Rights office condemned¹ the expulsion activity as a violation² of international human rights law. The U.N. office says Algerian officials carried out at least six mass expulsions of migrants in Oran, Duira and Boufarik between March 8 and April 19.

Ravina Shamdasani is a spokesperson for the U.N. agency. She said that raids are reportedly carried out at building industry workplaces and in neighborhoods where migrants live. She said police also stop migrants in the street and detain them.

Shamdasani told VOA that Algerian officials are taking the action without any examination or consideration of the individuals.

“We are told that people are often just arrested and detained without even checking their documents. Of the 25 people that my colleagues spoke³ to in Niger, only one said that she actually had her passport checked."

Shamdasani said many of the migrants were not permitted to get their belongings⁴ before they were expelled. She said some migrants were quickly sent to Niger.

Others, she said, have been detained in reportedly inhumane conditions in military bases.

“Nigeriens are transferred by bus to Agadez in Niger, while the others are crammed⁶ in to big trucks to be transferred to the Nigerien border where they are then abandoned and left to walk for hours in the desert heat."

Shamdasani said that the U.N. office has heard statements suggesting that the migrants who remain in Algeria are “very fearful.”

Shamdasani added that U.N. observation workers have expressed concern about these collective expulsions to Algerian officials. She would not discuss any answers they might have provided. But she said governments usually claim security issues as a reason for expulsions.

Under international human rights law, migrants are not to be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention⁷. They also are not to be arbitrarily deprived of property or documents. The law says migrant returns should be carried out in safe conditions and with respect.

I’m Caty Weaver⁸.

Words in this Story

sub-Saharan – adj. south of the Sahara Desert

cram⁵ – v. crowd into a small space

abandon – v. to leave without needed protection or care

arbitrary – adj. not planned or chosen for a particular reason

deprive – v. to take something away from someone or something : to not allow (someone or something) to have or keep (something)

1 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

2 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

5 cram   

v.填塞，塞满，临时抱佛脚，为考试而学习

参考例句：

• There was such a cram in the church.教堂里拥挤得要命。
• The room's full,we can't cram any more people in.屋里满满的，再也挤不进去人了。

6 crammed   

adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)

参考例句：

• He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
• All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

7 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

8 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。