HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND ITS COMBAT IN ALGERIA IN LIGHT OF LAW 23-04: A LEGAL AND POLITICAL APPROACH TO REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONTEXTS

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RASSOUL MAHFOUD, BENAMARA LARBI

Abstract

 This study aims to analyze the crime of human trafficking and the reporting of its victims in Algeria, in light of the provisions of Law No. 23-04 of May 7, 2023, on the prevention and combating of human trafficking. The study examines the legal concept of this crime and its various forms, as well as the preventive mechanisms established to counter it. It also explores the regional conditions that fuel this phenomenon particularly those linked to the Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa considering them as primary sources for the expansion of human trafficking networks and other forms of organized crime along Algeria’s borders.


Furthermore, the study reviews the international perspective on this phenomenon through reports issued by relevant United Nations agencies and the annual U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Reports regarding Algeria. It also highlights Algeria’s efforts to prevent and combat this crime, while assessing the effectiveness of these measures in order to provide recommendations for strengthening them.

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References

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