Algeria to increase support for Syrian refugees

Algeria is to allocate specific education divisions for children of Syrian refugees, after a meeting between representatives of the ministries of interior, solidarity and education agreed the deal.

Al-Khabar newspaper quoted Farouk Ksentini, president of the National Advisory Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, on Saturday as saying that this week's meeting confirmed that “most Syrian refugees who entered Algeria came as tourists with their private money on board commercial flights."

He pointed out that “the Algerian government adopted this special procedure, following the aggravation of the crisis in the country where public squares turned into a place of residence for some Syrian families.”

Ksentini estimated the number of the Syrian refugees in Algeria to be around 12,000 but said most had rented houses or hotel rooms and refused to head to Algerian Red Crescent centers.

However he warned the situation was escalating, especially as clashes were ongoing.

Ksentini said there were also studying the possibility of recruiting volunteers from the Syrian community living in Algeria to aid Algerian teachers who have been asked to teach Syrian children.

He declared that “the work now is focused on counting the students and their respective educational levels to determine the number of divisions and institutions that will care for them.”

"The Algerian government will adopt other measures upon opening Algerian Red Crescent shelters, rejected by most Syrians, by improving the conditions of refugee families,” he added.

Ksentini added that he anticipated that the number of Syrian refugees would continue to rise.

(Al-Akhbar, UPI)