Prostitution in Algeria:‍ A Growing⁣ Concern

Prostitution is corrupting Algerian society‌ to unprecedented proportions. Despite​ the closure of the regime and its censorship‍ of any information ⁤related ‍to ‌the phenomenon, documented figures speak of at least four million people who live, in Algeria, from the generosity of customers ​who are addicted to‌ employed relationships.

Jean-Louis Levet and Paul‌ Tolila, ⁢in their book​ Le mal algérien published in 2023 (ed. Bouquins), highlight the sad⁢ reality of​ institutionalized⁣ prostitution with deep local implications. The police, who are supposed ‍to be the bulwark against crime, find themselves involved in⁣ this. A ‍cynical collusion between the system and prostitution‍ networks contributes to ⁤maintaining this vicious cycle where poverty‍ and exploitation feed each other.

The Extent of the Problem

Some regions in ‌Algeria, such as the ⁣small seaside town ‍of Tichy ⁢in the ‌Béjaïa region, have become the epicenter ​of this phenomenon. With more than 1,500 prostitutes operating in a multitude of locations, ⁣this city has become a symbol of⁣ thriving sex tourism. The ‍high tourist season is marked by rampant drug trafficking in‍ all directions, adding ⁢to the deprivation a spate of⁤ violence and crime.

Major Algerian cities such as Algiers, Oran, Béjaïa, Annaba, Tlemcen, Sétif, Tizi-Ouzou, Sidi Bel Abbès, and Bordj Bou Arreridj are not left out. Already in‍ 2007, a report‍ by the Algerian Abassa Polling⁢ Institute estimated that there were about 1.2 million clandestine ⁤prostitutes in Algeria, each maintaining a family circle⁤ of at least three people, “which gives a figure ⁢of ​one slightly more than 4⁣ million people living ‌from this activity.

The Human Cost

During an investigation she made into this scourge in Algeria, the lawyer of the Algiers bar, Fatima Benbraham, described “open-air brothels” and identified almost ‌8,000 houses dedicated to prostitution in the​ capital alone. ⁢This deplorable situation extends throughout Algeria, with entry into the profession from 14 to 16 ⁢years of‌ age. Prostitution, in this context, becomes a desperate survival activity, made worse by the scars left by the “black decade” of terrorism,⁢ where many women and girls, are raped or‍ forced ​into marriage, abandoned and rejected, pushed towards prostitution by lack of prospects, alternatives and job‌ offers that⁤ can protect their integrity and dignity.

The Economic ‍Impact

The lawyer also explains, in great detail, that prostitution is practiced “in the street … ‌garages, vehicle carcasses, slums, small flats,​ villas, hotels by the sea […]. The latter is practiced by both sexes, even‍ if ⁢it is mainly practiced by women and eaten by⁢ men. And⁣ to complete ⁣that he noted that “through all ⁤these​ investigations prostitution is a profitable market which tends to develop. It is an organized ​crime that brings in a lot of ‍money that is ‍laundered in real ⁢estate or in import export that affects all social circles.

The Regime’s⁢ Role

Despite this alarming situation, the regime of the generals continues to play its⁢ sordid double game. According to the investigative journalist Amir DZ in exile ‍in France, the Algiers regime finances​ and controls a huge prostitution⁣ network that sends thousands of Algerian ​women to ⁣prostitute‍ themselves⁤ in the Gulf countries, where they are looked after​ and housed in upscale ‍neighbourhoods.

The Media’s Silence

The Algerian media‌ themselves‍ are not‌ deceived by the extent of the phenomenon in Algeria: ​all massage parlors in Algeria, supposedly body care establishments, are actually hidden places of prostitution. Last year, El Hayet TV, directed by Habet Hannachi who had⁤ the honor of interviewing Tebboune, broadcast ​a teaser linked to a⁢ report on massage parlors in‍ Algeria, which are⁤ in real places of prostitution. Announced ​for evening broadcast, ‌the ​topic created a buzz⁢ on social networks. And at the ⁣time of its broadcast, it was deprogrammed and shelved.

Last April,⁣ Ennahar TV channel broadcast a documentary on prostitution⁤ in the country and especially on Algerian university campuses. This documentary was promptly deleted and removed from social media.

The silence imposed by those in power on ⁢the scale of the phenomenon cannot hide this‍ very sad‌ reality:⁢ in a country ​rich in fossil fuels, four⁤ million people survive thanks to the ​oldest profession⁤ in ‌the world.