HOPEFUL WESTERN ALGERIA LOOKS TO THE U.S.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ALGIERS 001326

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958 AS AMENDED: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECON SOCI KFRD ASEC CVIS AG
SUBJECT: HOPEFUL WESTERN ALGERIA LOOKS TO THE U.S.



1. SUMMARY: The northwestern Algerian town of Sig and the
neighboring city of Mascara are well established migrant-sending
communities that produce a disproportionately large number of visa
applicants. A strong migration relationship with immigrant
communities in the U.S., combined with the lack of economic
opportunities at home, has pushed many residents of the region to
try their luck in the United States. In addition to migration, many
Algerians from the area seek more contact with the U.S. and look to
it as an attractive alternative to traditional partnerships with
France and Spain. End Summary.

Sig: Producer of Olives and Visa Applicants
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2. Conoff traveled to Sig in early September and met with
government officials, traders and small business owners. Sig, with
a population of about 75,000, is the principal town in an
administrative department (daira) comprised of about 120,000
inhabitants. Located 50 km south of Algeria's second city, Oran,
Sig sits in a fertile agricultural region that produces olives,
grapes and cereals. Although Sig was not exempt from the violence
that tore Algeria apart during the 1990s, the daira has not
experienced any terrorism-related violence for many years. The
primary economic activity in Sig is the cultivation and processing
of olives. The Egyptian company Orascom also operates a cement
plant on the outskirts of Sig that employs about 2000 local workers.



3. According to the daira chief and the mayor of Sig, the biggest
impediments to economic development in the region are a lack of
skills and technical know-how, and poor access to external markets
for the region's agricultural products. In their view, Sig's
outwardly looking citizens crave interaction and exchange with
foreign investors.


4. Small business owners and olive traders validated their leaders'
sentiments concerning the desire for increased contact with the
United States, and were particularly interested in marketing their
agricultural products, especially their olives. Many individuals
also showed interest in cultural exchanges with the U.S. and sought
information about educational opportunities there. (Note: Post
processes a relatively small number of student and exchange visitor
visas and practically none of the applicants are from Sig. End
note.)

Sig Has a Sister in Jersey City
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5. The migration relationship between Sig and the United States is
largely the result of a significant community of former Sig
residents in northern New Jersey. Jersey City, New Jersey has a
sister-city relationship with Sig. According to several current
residents of Sig, the first wave of migration from Sig to the U.S.
occurred in the late 1980s. Further migration took place via the
Diversity Visa process in the 1990s. Though the residents of Sig
continue to apply for DVs, the education requirement eliminates a
considerable percentage of applicants, and many mostly young
residents of Sig apply instead for nonimmigrant visas.


6. Despite this well established migration network, remittances
from Algerian immigrants (both legal and undocumented migrants)
inject only a modest amount of money into the region. Moreover,
there is no evidence that these remittances are used for productive
investment. The mayor of Sig stated that remittances are used
primarily to construct or remodel homes, and to purchase consumer
goods such as automobiles.


7. The residents of Sig view the United States as a more attractive
country for immigration than the traditional destinations of France
and Spain. The existence of a well developed migration network with
the U.S. alone does not explain this phenomenon, since such networks
also exist with the much larger Algerian diasporas in France and
Spain. However, the perception that there are greater employment
opportunities in the United States, and the belief that the U.S. is
more welcoming to immigrants (both legal and undocumented),has
influenced many residents of Sig to migrate to America rather than
Europe.


8. About eight percent of post's nonimmigrant visa applicants come
from Sig. Considering the total population of Algeria and the
relatively small number of inhabitants of Sig, this is an unusually
high percentage of the total applicant pool. Over the past 12
months the nonimmigrant visa refusal rate for all applicants in
Algeria was 27 percent. The refusal rate for applicants from Sig,
in contrast, was 75 percent.

COMMENT: Increased U.S. Presence in Western Algeria?
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9. Based on conversations with a wide variety of contacts from

ALGIERS 00001326 002 OF 002


different socioeconomic levels in both the daira of Sig and in the
city of Oran, it appears that many Algerians in the northwest of the
country believe U.S. influence is confined to Algiers. There is an
acute perception that U.S. government programs and interests in
Algeria are largely limited to Algiers, with the exception of U.S.
investment in the petroleum industry in the Sahara. Several
residents shared fond memories of the American Consulate General in
Oran (which closed in the mid-1990s) and asked about the possibility
of reopening the post. Opening a cultural center or an American
corner in Oran would serve as a first step toward reengagement in a
region of Algeria in which the people genuinely desire stronger ties
with the U.S.

FORD