This is the story of a long-awaited journey and reunion. Jalil, 32, and his 65-year-old mother began a feverishly awaited trip on Tuesday, May 3. Mother and son are part of the Algerian diaspora living in Paris and have not been able to come to Algeria to visit their family since the end of 2019, blocked by the closure of borders and dependent on restrictions linked to the pandemic.
Burned by Air Algérie plane tickets they had booked a few weeks ago and which were canceled at the last minute, Jalil and his mother finally opted for Tunisair to reach Algiers from France. “Making a Paris/Algiers stopover in Tunis is not ideal, it’s tiring, but I preferred to do it this way and be sure to have a flight within my work-related dates. “, explains the young man to VVA.
A total of 5 hours of travel, and a 700 € return ticket per person: figures that weigh heavily when you know that in principle the direct flight only lasts about 1 hour 45 minutes and that the airline Air Algérie has recently lowered the ticket prices. But Jalil prefers to retain the positive: “We were able to arrive the day after Eid el Fitr, it’s a great gift for us, especially when we know that many others have not had this chance”.
Many obstacles
It must be said that nothing facilitated this trip. While her mother almost didn’t get her Algerian passport on time, because of the waiting times at the consulates in France, Jalil had to apply for a Visa to be sure she could leave. “My passport had expired and I didn’t expect such a long wait to have it renewed, I was offered an appointment in July! For safety I opted for a Visa, otherwise, the trip fell through so close to the goal”, he says.
Rediscovering the scent of Algeria, a pleasant temperature, and the warm welcome of their loved ones erased the pitfalls of the journey. Jalil and his mother will be able to take advantage of a few days of vacation near Algiers after a Ramadan spent in France in an unfriendly atmosphere.
“This year it was quite heavy in the middle of the presidential elections and with the inflation of raw materials, I will make sure to spend Ramadan in town next year, if possible because it has an incomparable flavor. hopes Jalil with a smile.
