Algeria

Algeria is a country of transit and destination. The country mainly hosts Sahrawi refugees - UNHCR works with the 90,000 most vulnerable in the five camps near Tindouf - and 11,500 refugees and asylum-seekers in urban areas. 80% of them are Syrians, and 20% are sub-Saharan.

The Sahrawi situation is compromised by its isolation, limited livelihood opportunities and harsh environmental conditions. Due to the critical shortage of funding, minimum humanitarian standards cannot be met in most sectors, and most refugees are believed to live below the poverty line. Livelihood opportunities are few, and expectations of youth to become employed are wearing thin. UNHCR provides life-saving humanitarian needs and services to refugees.

With no asylum legislation, reception facilities or referral mechanisms in place, access to asylum and risk of refoulement are among the main protection concerns in urban areas. UNHCR carries out registration, Refugee Status Determination, and issues UNHCR documentation, advocating to improve the protection space and build capacity for local stakeholders. UNHCR facilitates access to education, health, mental health, and psychosocial support (MHPSS), legal services and cash assistance.