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Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Algeria (RATIFICATION: 2001)

Articles 3 and 7(1) of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour and the penalties applied. Clause (a). Sale and trafficking of children. The Committee previously noted that section 303bis(4) of Act No. 09-01 of 25 February 2009 provides for imprisonment and a fine in cases of trafficking of persons, in particular, for economic and sexual exploitation. Where the trafficking involves a person who is in a vulnerable situation owing to their age, among other things, the prison sentence is between 5 and 15 years. The Committee noted the creation of the National Committee on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons. It also noted that training workshops on investigations and prosecutions for cases of trafficking in persons, and on victim protection, had been held in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Committee requested the Government to provide information on the impact of the training workshops on the elimination of the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age.

The Government indicates, in its report, that training on trafficking in persons has strengthened the intervention capacities of investigators, particularly in identifying victims of trafficking and in determining the crime, in order to better identify cases of trafficking throughout the country, including trafficking in children for labour and sexual exploitation. The Government states that the training of personnel responsible for combating trafficking in persons is a priority of the Directorate General of National Security. There are also 50 Brigades for the protection of vulnerable persons within the police force, one mission of which is to ensure the protection of children against all forms of exploitation. In addition, the Government indicates that in 2018, two cases of child trafficking, involving six child victims, were identified and led to criminal proceedings. As a result of the prosecutions, one person was sentenced to imprisonment and a fine, and four persons were acquitted. In 2019, three cases of child trafficking were registered, two of which were processed, involving three child victims. As a result, two persons were sentenced to imprisonment and a fine and two others were acquitted. The Committee requests the Government to continue its efforts to combat child trafficking by ensuring that the perpetrators of these acts are identified and prosecuted, and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive sanctions are imposed. It requests the Government to continue to provide statistical information on identified cases of trafficking in children under 18 years, the prosecutions brought, the convictions obtained and the penalties imposed.

Clause (c). Use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs. In its previous comments, the Committee highlighted the absence of a legislative provision prohibiting the use, procuring or offering of a child under 18 years of age for the production and trafficking of drugs. It noted with regret the absence of information from the Government and urged it to take, as a matter of urgency, the necessary measures to ensure, in law and in practice, the prohibition of the use, procuring or offering of a child under 18 years of age for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, and to establish sufficiently effective and dissuasive sanctions.

The Government indicates that where children are used for serious crimes related to drugs, the law prohibits legal proceedings against them if they are under 10 years of age. The Government provides figures on the number of children involved in cases linked to the trafficking and use of drugs. However, the Committee notes that the Government does not specify the number of children used, procured or offered for the production and trafficking of drugs.

The Committee once again emphasizes that although national legislation establishes penalties for the possession, use or trafficking of drugs, it does not define specific offences on the use, procuring or offering of children by other persons for the production and trafficking of drugs. It also reminds the Government that all children under 18 years used, procured or offered for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, must be treated as victims and not criminals. The Committee can only express its concern at the absence of provisions expressly prohibiting the use, procuring or offering of a child under 18 years of age for the production and trafficking of drugs. The Committee therefore urges the Government to take, as a matter of urgency, immediate measures to ensure that national legislation prohibits the use, procuring or offering of a child for the production and trafficking of drugs. It also requests it to take the necessary measures to ensure that all children under 18 years used for the production and trafficking of drugs are treated as victims and not criminals, and are therefore not punished for their involvement in illicit activities. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard.

Article 4(1). Determination of hazardous types of work. For several years, the Committee has been noting the Government’s indication that the issue of determining hazardous types of work had been addressed during the current drafting of the new Labour Code. In its previous comment, the Committee noted that section 48 of the draft Labour Code of October 2015 prohibits children below the age of 18 from engaging in hazardous work and provides for the establishment of a list of these types of work through legislation. The Committee urged the Government to take immediate measures to ensure the adoption of the draft Labour Code and the relevant regulation on the list of types of hazardous work prohibited to children under 18 years of age.

The Government indicates that the Bill issuing the Labour Code, which provides that the list of hazardous work prohibited to children under 18 years of age will be determined by legislation and revised on a regular basis following consultation with the employers’ and workers’ organizations concerned, is being finalized. In addition, the Government indicates that a copy of the above Bill has been communicated to the most representative trade union organizations for their opinion. The Committee urges the Government to take, without delay, the necessary measures to finalize and adopt the Bill issuing the Labour Code, in order to determine, following consultation with the employers’ and workers’ organizations concerned, the types of hazardous work prohibited to children under 18 years of age. It requests the Government to provide a copy of the legislative text issuing the Labour Code and the regulatory text fixing the list of the types of hazardous work, once adopted.

Article 6. Programmes of action. Sale and trafficking of children. In its previous comment, the Committee requested the Government to take the necessary measures to combat the trafficking of children under 18 years of age for economic or sexual exploitation.

The Government indicates that a three-year programme for the implementation of the action plan to prevent and combat trafficking in persons 2019–2021 was adopted in 2019. This three-year programme, which incorporates the main pillars of the 2015 action plan, provides, inter alia, for: (i) reliable and accurate data on trafficking in persons; (ii) capacity building for those who deal with cases of trafficking in persons cases; (iii) adaptation of the national legal arsenal to prevent and combat trafficking in persons; (iv) provision of necessary protection and assistance for victims of trafficking; and (v) strengthening of cooperation to combat trafficking in persons. The Government states that the National Committee on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons has initiated the drafting of a Bill on trafficking in persons. The Committee takes note of this information. It notes, however, that the Government does not indicate any specific measures taken under the 2019–2021 three-year programme to combat trafficking in children under 18 years. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken within the framework of the 2019 – 2021 three-year programme to effectively combat trafficking in children, and the results achieved.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clauses (b). Providing assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour and for their rehabilitation and social integration. Trafficking of children. The Committee previously requested the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to establish services for the recovery of child victims of trafficking, and for their rehabilitation and social integration. It also requested the Government to take measures to ensure that child victims of trafficking are treated as victims rather than offenders and to provide information on progress in this regard.

The Government indicates that there is currently no national guidance mechanism for victims of trafficking in persons to provide coordinated care for victims but that a working group had been set up to formalize such a mechanism. The Committee further notes the information of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CMW), in its concluding observations of 25 May 2018, according to which “victims of trafficking, including children, continue to be considered migrants in an irregular situation and risk being jailed for illegal activities, such as prostitution, that they engage in because they are victims of trafficking”. The CMW also refers to “the absence of shelters for victims of trafficking and the ban on them being opened by civil society under pain of criminal sanctions for housing migrants in an irregular situation.” (CMW/C/DZA/CO/2, paragraph 59). The Committee urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to ensure that children under 18 years of age who engage in illegal activities, such as prostitution, in the context of trafficking, are not punished for that. It also urges the Government to take specific measures to remove child victims of trafficking from this worst form of labour, and to ensure their rehabilitation and social integration, for example by establishing reception and support centres. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard, including within the framework of the national guidance mechanism for victims of trafficking, particularly on the number of children below the age of 18 who have been removed from trafficking and given appropriate care and assistance.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.