Moroccan worker barred from returning home by Algerian authorities

Algerian authorities have prevented a Moroccan citizen, Bousselham Cherradi, from returning to Morocco, citing an ongoing investigation into his case, sources told Hespress.

Cherradi, who has traveled multiple times to Algeria for work in the agricultural greenhouse sector, was barred from leaving when he tried to return to Morocco this time. His return had been planned for last Sunday, after completing his work assignment. While other Moroccan workers were allowed to leave, Cherradi was stopped without explanation at first.

According to a relative who spoke to Hespress, the authorities claimed that Cherradi’s departure date from Algeria during his last visit had not been properly recorded in their system.

The relative added that Cherradi had recently renewed his passport, which led Algerian officials to question how he had previously exited the country.

Cherradi was referred to court on Monday, fined, and released. However, he was issued a document preventing him from leaving Algeria for the next ten days, under the pretext that the investigation was still ongoing.

Hespress reviewed a document confirming that Cherradi’s passport had been confiscated by the head of the immigration and foreign affairs department of Algiers’ public security police. The document cites Article 26 of Law 11/08 (dated June 25, 2008), which allows security services to temporarily seize the travel documents of foreigners under investigation.

Cherradi’s family has since retrieved his old passport from Moroccan authorities and sent a copy of it, showing both Moroccan and Algerian immigration stamps with the date of his previous departure, to the Algerian authorities. However, they have yet to receive a response.

“All we want is for him to be allowed to return to his country. His documents are all in order, and there is no reason to deny him his right to travel,” one of his relative said.