They did not reach their destination and did not return from where they came, some of them lost their relatives while on the way, and some of them had worsening health conditions, and among them were women, the elderly, and children who were starving in a very cold area, and they were seeking help and no relief.
54 days ago, 28 Algerians booked air tickets for their country, and the hugging of the homeland was changed after the pain of exile, the scourge befell them from where they did not count.
Upon their arrival at Charles-de-Gaulle airport in Paris on 26 February, the Algerian airline refused to board them on its flight to home for health reasons linked to the British strain of Coronavirus, and they remained stranded in the international zone of the main airport in Paris. Although their tickets are valid, they have negative tests for Corona, and some have received the vaccine.
After about 3 weeks, only 3 of them managed to reach Algeria.
The rest at the Parisian airport are still sleeping on the floor and sleeping to the sound of the flight calls and the noise of travelers.
From February 26 to March 8 last year, Air Algerie offered insufficient daily compensation in the airport's transit area known for its high prices.
Then they neglected and did not get meals, and used cold water to clean themselves in the airport toilets.
The media did not highlight the issue until the intervention of French lawyer Alexandre Onré and lawyer Karima Hadj Said on March 21, who published videos of the plight of the stranded that were taken by travelers.
The ADP group, which runs Charles de Gaulle airport, has provided two meals per person, and has set aside 5 rooms for 26 people in a hotel to allow them to take a rotating shower after pressure from lawyers.
On April 11, two people returned to London and 17 went to Tunisia, where they are still stranded.
A week later, another traveler returned to London.
Ale mode
In an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, lawyer Alexander Ondre said, "One of the passengers obtained a travel permit for a compelling reason due to her mother's serious condition, but she received the news of her death while she was stuck at the airport."
"I visited the airport 10 times. The situation is horrific," he added.
There are still 5 Algerians at the Paris airport, including a 55-year-old man who quit his job in London to join his family in Algeria, and another whose visa expired in October 2020 and wants to return permanently, in addition to a 74-year-old woman accompanied by her two daughters.
"They are all tired, depressed and in poor health, noticeably underweight and suffering from diarrhea," says lawyer Ondre. "They haven't breathe fresh air for two months. We are very worried about the sisters' health."
"It is outrageous to abandon people like this. We go to rescue people thousands of kilometers away and neglect 26 people at an airport in Paris, ignore them, and we seek to evade responsibility," he added.
Lawsuits
On March 21, the two lawyers filed a lawsuit against the French authorities to urge them to improve the situation of the stranded and provide them with health care.
On March 26, they appealed to court to obtain entry permits to meet with their clients after the Central Border Police Department had prevented them from entering the airport because they were in an international transit zone.
Then they appealed against the Algerian company for compensation and deportation of their clients to Algeria.
However, the French judges ruled that there is no compelling travel emergency.
It is a decision that the lawyer interpreted, "that they do not want the Algerian state to be tried or convicted."
Attorney Ondre comments, "It is a humanitarian situation in a country that advocates for human rights. France is responsible for depriving these people of their freedom. We are talking here about 26 people, of whom 5 remained, who went for 26 days without access to lawyers, doctors and the media."
Algerian justifications
For its part, Air Algérie has offered to transfer the stranded people to London or Algeria without any compensation.
According to lawyer Ondré, the company is hiding behind the health measures taken by the Algerian government, knowing that the borders were not closed on February 26th.
During that period, many traveled to Algeria from Paris and London.
In press statements, the Algerian ambassador to France said that travelers have been informed to return to Britain due to the health crisis, and that travelers hold passports that have not been issued in Algeria.
The two attorneys deny the validity of what was stated in these statements, because flights with France were suspended on the previous March 17th, and that the travelers were not informed until the day they arrived in Paris.
Also, 4 of the stranded travelers today have passports issued in Algeria.
It is reported that Al-Jazeera Net tried to communicate with the Algerian embassy in Paris and the airline management, but they declined to comment.
At the same time, the French authorities are waiting for Algeria to grant them permission to leave, because if Paris decides to deport them on a French plane, it fears the possibility that the Algerian state will deny them entry.
The French lawyer attributes this blackout and neglect to the tense relations between Paris and Algeria.
According to some figures, there are 25,000 Algerians stranded abroad since the outbreak of the new Corona virus, which first appeared in China in December 2019.