Forced Migration in the OIC Member Countries:
Policy Framework Adopted by Host Countries
32
But some migrants from North Africa do hold legitimate claims to asylum. One recent example
is the Coptic Christians of Egypt – who have sought asylum due to persecution amidst political
instability.59 Other instances of forced migration within North Africa have been driven by two
political conflicts that remain unresolved today. The first is the Western Sahara conflict, which
continues to be left in political limbo despite a 1991 ceasefire between Morocco and the
Polisario Front. Thousands of Sahrawis fled the country, and many remain in exile as the
region’s future remains uncertain.60 Government figures estimate that 165,000 Sahrawis
reside in Algeria, mostly in camps in the western Tindouf region.61
The 2011 Libyan Civil War following the Arab Spring also forced many to flee the country. The
period of acute violence immediately after the outbreak of hostilities forced one million
people to seek refuge in Tunisia, including over 600,000 Libyan citizens and many migrants
who were residing in Libya.62 Most of these forced migrants either returned home to their
country of origin or back to Libya when the situation improved, though an unknown number
remained in Tunisia.63 While many may have returned, IDMC reports that 500,000 Libyans
remain displaced internally due to continuing violence amidst political instability.64
North Africa as a transit point and destination for forced migrants
The countries of North Africa have also served as both transit points and destinations for
forced migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. While such flows have existed
throughout history, trans-Saharan migration increased significantly during the 1990’s due to
Muammar Gaddafi’s Pan-African migration policy, which allowed African nationals to enter
Libya without a visa between 1998 and 2007.65 Libya was seen as an attractive destination
due to its high wages and demand for foreign labor.66 Egypt has also served as an important
destination for forced migrants, especially from the Middle East and the Horn of Africa.67 In
2015 UNHCR reported that Egypt was host to 117,000 Syrians and 70,000 Palestinians.68
For some forced migrants, North Africa is seen as the “gateway” to reach European shores.69
The major launching sites for journeys to Europe have traditionally been Morocco (from
59 Some Egyptian Copts have used legal migration pathways to travel to the U.S. and apply for asylum upon arrival. Michael
Kaplan, “Why The Middle East’s Largest Christian Community Is Fleeing Egypt,” International Business Times, February 3,
2016, The Economist,
“Egypt’s Copts: The butt of angry Islamists,” The Economist, August 24, 2013
60 A UN-brokered ceasefire stipulated that Morocco would hold a referendum in Western Sahara to decide whether it would
remain under Moroccan rule or become independent. But this referendum has yet to be held. Whitney Shefte, “Western
Sahara’s stranded refugees consider renewal of Morocco conflict,” The Guardian, January 6, 2015,
61 Zohra Bensemra, “Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria’s arid south,” Reuters, March 4, 2016,
62 Paul Dourgnon and Hassène Kassar, “Refugees in and out North Africa: a study of the Choucha refugee camp in Tunisia,”
The European Journal of Public Health 24, no. 1 (2014): 6-1
63 Ibid.
64 IDMC, Global Report on Internal Displacement 2016
65 Arezo Malakooti and Tahar Benattia, Mixed Migration: Libya at the Crossroads (Paris: Altai Consulting, 2013), 72,
66 Ibid.
67 Egypt has traditionally been more connected to the Gulf migration system than the other countries of North Africa. This is
reflected in both its emigration patterns, sending large numbers of workers to the oil-rich Gulf countries, and its intake of
large numbers of Middle Eastern forced migrants.
68 UNHCR, “Population Statistics”
69 Tahar Benattia, Florence Armitano, and Holly Robinson, Irregular Migration between West Africa, North Africa and the
Mediterranean (Paris: Altai Consulting, 2015), 23,