On September 4, a worship service at a humanitarian shelter in Algeria was raided by special force police. The suspects were all 12 Christians who were present, according to reports. The House of Refuge shelter, located in L’Ayaida, 36 kilometers (22 miles) east of Oran, serves as a haven and restoration center for vulnerable women and their families.
“Before authorities ordered its administrative closure in October 2019, the shelter housed a worship hall. However, Christians have remained present for church services in one of the separate apartments located on the shelter premises.
”The 12 detained Christians were transferred to the Bethioua police station about 40 kilometers from Oran after police raided the site with a search warrant”.
”According to the sources, the police seized all Christian literature, mobile phones, and identity cards of those present during the operation. While the men were held until late at night, some until 3 a.m., the women were released to be questioned the following morning”.
“Christians are concerned about the potential charges brought against the detainees under Ordinance 06-03, which governs non-Muslim worship in Algeria. This law imposes severe penalties on collective worship outside the official state framework or any actions that are considered to “shake the faith of a Muslim.”
”This imposing law imposes severe penalties on the detainees, resulting in a maximum prison sentence of two to five years and fines of 500,000 to 1 million Algerian dinars ($3,745 to $7,490). Non-Muslim worship buildings are required to obtain licenses, but all applications for licensing have been left unattended.
In May 2024, the EPA Vice-President Youcef Ourahmane faced an appeal, resulting in a sentence of one year in prison. This was due to his involvement in organizing a spiritual retreat.
”Initially, he had been imposed with two years and a fine. The persistence of a policy aimed at criminalising the Christian faith and its structures within the country is reflected in these cases and significant events, which are attributed to Pastor Ourahmane, the founder of the Timothee School and the L’Ayeida refuge center.
”Christians in the Béjaa, Tizi Ouzou, and Bouira regions have expressed their desire to permanently resolve the “church issue” in Algeria in the past month. In order to achieve this objective, special envoys were designated and dispatched across the country to engage with diverse leaders who were not affiliated with the EPA.
They were tasked with identifying and contacting congregants, urging them to join a new Christian association project intended to replace the EPA.
According to Open Doors, the number of Christians in Algeria is estimated at about 150 000 people, 0.3% of the total population of 48 million. This manoeuvre aims to orchestrate a reorganization under strict state control, paving the way for the potential reopening of places of worship subject to rigorous government regulations.
”The 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian are listed in Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List. ‘The majority of the population is Catholics, with 8 000 Catholics and Anglicans, Anglicans, and Mennonites made up mostly of foreigners, including diplomats.