What role did political instability in Africa play on the development of unauthorised emigration towards Algeria?
Several regional elements contributed to the increase of migratory movements of Sub-Saharan population towards Algeria. The crises in the Ivory Coast and in Sudan for instance. In the early nineties close to a million immigrants from other African nationalities worked in the Ivory Coast. In 1998, 26 percent of the population was foreign. The “hunt of foreigners” that followed the country’s political instability changed the direction of migratory flows in the region: they turned north. Sudan also hosted many African migrants. The crisis the country is experiencing since several years has had the same effect as the crisis in the Ivory Coast. In 1996-97, Libya toughened its immigration policy. Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers were sent back to their country; such massive expulsions did not spare the Tunisians, the Moroccans and the Egyptians! Yet, Libya was receiving a sizeable proportion of migratory flows from the Sub-Saharan region. Also, we must not forget the effect of the Sc
