Algeria suspends TV channel for racist remarks about African migrants

Algerian authorities have suspended Echorouk News TV for 10 days after the channel used a racist slur in a social media post referring to sub-Saharan African migrants detained during police raids, AFP reports. The national broadcasting authority ANIRA condemned the language as “racist and discriminatory,” accusing the outlet of spreading hate speech and violating human dignity. It also demanded a formal apology from the channel’s management.

The incident comes amid a broader crackdown on undocumented migrants in Algeria, which has expelled around 5,000 people—half of them Nigerien—since early April, according to state media. Tens of thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa use Algeria as a transit route to Europe, though many also seek employment in the country.
The suspension highlights growing scrutiny of media and official rhetoric amid rising anti-migrant sentiment in North Africa.