According to unofficial figures, there are about 10,000 Algerians living in Ukraine, including nearly 1,000 students
The Algerian Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, has announced the suspension, from today March 5, of all its services until further notice due to the security situation in this country.
In a statement made public, the Algerian diplomatic representation informed Algerian nationals who remained in Ukraine of this decision.
She, therefore, invited Algerians who wish to contact Algerian diplomatic representatives to do so either by telephone or by email. The embassy provided its contact details as well as those of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Algerian embassies in Romania, Hungary, and Poland.
Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army, the Algerian embassy in Kyiv had called on Algerians to “respect the security instructions and only go out if necessary”.
But with the worsening of the conflict, the Algerians, like all foreigners, decided to flee the war by their own means, while calling on the authorities to organize their repatriation.
On social networks, several of them have posted videos testifying to the difficulties encountered in leaving Ukraine. Seventy-six people who joined Romania were able to be repatriated on Thursday evening.
The persons concerned were welcomed on their arrival at Algiers international airport, onboard an Air Algérie flight, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad, Ramtane Lamamra. In a statement to the media, the head of Algerian diplomacy assures that “this operation is the first of its kind and that other flights are planned in the coming days”.
“The services of our embassies are mobilized at the borders with Ukraine to facilitate the transit of nationals to Romania, Hungary, and Poland”, underlined Ramtane Lamamra, noting, however “that the repatriation is not done in a compulsory, but taking into account the desire of our nationals to return or not to the country”.
The Minister also clarified “that many Algerian nationals who arrived in the capitals of the countries mentioned did not want to be repatriated on today’s flight when there were enough places”.
“Some may hope to return to university benches soon, others have decided to stay for other reasons”, explained the minister, reaffirming, however “that the embassies and consulates of Algeria remain fully prepared to take care of any Algerian wishing to return to the country”.
As a reminder, an Algerian student died on Saturday, February 26, in the city of Kharkiv. According to unofficial figures, there are about 10,000 Algerians living in Ukraine, including nearly 1,000 students.
