In the past few days, Algeria has seen a disturbing wave of racist and xenophobic rhetoric, particularly targeting Sub-Saharan African migrants. Could the widespread incitement and hate off and online only be a smokescreen? Tensions sparked by a diplomatic row between Algeria and Mali have spilled over into social media platforms, where hate speech spreads like wildfire. This is no longer just a diplomatic issue—it’s a humanitarian crisis. Migrants, many of whom sought refuge and work in Algeria, now face increased hostility, dehumanisation, and the threat of unlawful expulsion. PSI Union the Confédération Syndicale Des Forces Productives (COSYFOP), has raised the alarm, warning that the situation is spiraling into a full-blown campaign of racial violence and repression. 

A recent statement by COSYFOP lays bare the urgency of the situation:“What began as political tension has dangerously spilled over into public discourse, fueling unrestrained xenophobia and racial hostility across social media and public platforms.” 

Flashing back—2017, over 2000 Sub-Saharan Africans were deported within a space of weeks amidst inhuman conditions. Several similar actions have occurred since then. And in 2024, thousands were said to be deported to Niger by Algeria. On April 20th, 2025 an undisclosed number of migrants were deported to Assamaka, a remote desert town in northern Niger.  

Sub-Saharan migrants—many working in Algeria’s informal sector—now face mass expulsions without legal recourse, stigmatisation in the media, and silence from institutions that should be defending them. Algeria ratified international conventions which stipulates that “migrant workers and members of their families shall not be subject to measures of collective expulsion. Each case of expulsion shall be examined and decided individually”. 

Sadly, this is also disregarded by the authorities carrying out expulsions. Meanwhile, solidarity-based trade unions like COSYFOP are being repressed for daring to speak up.  

COSYFOP’s statement draws attention to a chilling trend: collective expulsions are happening with no procedural guarantees, in clear violation of international legal norms such as the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ratified by Algeria in 2005). Social media is awash with hate speech, much of it unchecked. Migrants are being rounded up, detained arbitrarily, and deported en masse. Those who remain face deepening precarity, lacking basic protections and often afraid to seek help. 

“No person should be reduced to a bargaining chip in geopolitical disputes,” COSYFOP rightly affirms. 

The weaponization of public discourse is not accidental—it’s deliberate. What started as political posturing has mutated into everyday racism, both online and on the streets. COSYFOP has highlighted how this shift is eroding Algeria’s own values: its proud tradition of hospitality and its constitutional commitment to human rights, and flagrant disregard for its own constitution. But beyond policy, this is about people. It’s about families. It’s about workers. The hate now being peddled will not stop with migrants; it never does. Injustice, once allowed to fester, spreads. 

"It is unacceptable for these toxic narratives to go unchecked. The state has a clear responsibility to protect all individuals within its borders—regardless of their origin or legal status."—COSYFOP 

But beyond policy, this is about people. It’s about families. It’s about workers. The hate now being peddled will not stop with migrants; it never does. Injustice, once allowed to fester, spreads. COSYFOP, like other human rights organizations, believe there is still time to choose another path.  

"Arbitrary expulsions and extra-judicial deportations must come to an end. Every migrant or asylum seeker must be guaranteed: the right to legal representation, access to a fair judicial process, and oversight by independent human rights organizations and trade unions."—COSYFOP 

PSI echoes that call—and demands the end to stigmatisation, expulsions without due process, and the repression of solidarity voices in Algeria.