POSITIVE ALGERIAN GOVERNMENT MOVEMENT ON TIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001777 SIPDIS SIPDIS G/TIP FOR MARK TAYLOR AND GAYATRI PATEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2017 TAGS: PHUM KCRM KWMN PREL AG SUBJECT: POSITIVE ALGERIAN GOVERNMENT MOVEMENT ON TIP REF: ALGIERS 1099 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Thomas F. Daughton; reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: After months of engaging the Algerian government and civil society on TIP, we are seeing evidence of incremental improvement. NGO SOS Femmes en Detresse reports that some illegal immigrants are now receiving medical care, with no harassment from authorities, although it is unclear whether this represents a policy change or the actions of a few individuals. Meanwhile, the government point of contact on TIP acknowledged in a meeting with us that TIP is a global phenomenon and expressed interest in combating it. END SUMMARY FREE MEDICAL CARE FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS -------------- ¶2. (C) We met November 25 with Meriem Belaala, president of Algerian NGO SOS Femmes en Detresse. According to Belaala, since the June 2007 release of the TIP report she has seen gradual change on the part of the Algerian government. She was aware of at least one case of an illegal immigrant receiving free medical care in an Algiers hospital. She said that she asked a doctor about this to see whether the government had made a policy change. The doctor, she said, did not give her a straight answer. In Tamanrasset, located in the deep south of Algeria, Belaala said that illegal immigrants are now being treated at healthcare facilities without harassment over their lack of papers. According to her, whatever name an illegal gives to hospital authorities is accepted, marking a dramatic change from previous practice. ¶3. (C) Poloff asked Belaala why she thought the government had not informed the Embassy that illegal immigrants could receive free medical care, as a way to show the government had taken positive steps in reaction to the TIP report. Belaala responded that to do so would require the government to admit that there is a problem. She added that the government has made and is making changes "discreetly" -- again, in response to the release of the TIP report. GOVERNMENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF A PROBLEM -------------- ¶4. (C) In a December 9 meeting, Mohamed Amara, Director General of Judicial and Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Justice and the designated Algerian government point of contact on TIP, told us that he had discussed trafficking in persons during his November 19-21 Washington expert-level discussions between the U.S. and Algeria on a possible Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT). In contrast to previous discussions with the Algerian government on TIP and for the first time in conversations with us, Amara acknowledged the global phenomenon of TIP and the resulting need to have international cooperation to address the problem. Also for the first time, Amara said that it was preferable to take "preventive measures" concerning TIP, adding that it was necessary to have support mechanisms in place to help trafficking victims. He also repeated what he told us last July: Work on TIP-related amendments to Algerian law should be completed by the end of 2007 (reftel). ¶5. (C) COMMENT: Amara's November 2007 trip to Washington seems to have moved Algeria closer to our understanding of the TIP problem. Amara has consistently been cooperative on many issues, but not on TIP. His comments in the December 9 meeting reflect a positive change in how the Algerian government deals with us on the TIP issue. The government has finally acknowledged the problem in private, and we will encourage it to do so publicly. The examples of medical treatment for illegal immigrants are not necessarily proof of a change in Algerian policy regarding TIP, though a connection between the two is likely. We believe that a significant number of illegal immigrants are trafficked. Previously, standard government practice was not to provide services to illegal immigrants. Taken together, the comments of Amara and Belaala provide some measure of hope that positive change is beginning to occur. FORD