Algerian Church Closures

In March 2006, the Algerian government introduced new legislation that redefined the conditions for exercising religious activities outside of Islam. Since November 2007, 26 of the 52 known churches in Algeria were ordered to close. Many churches that attempted to register in accordance with the new legislation were denied applications by the government with little or no explanation.

Through the Open Doors campaign, almost 1,400 letters were sent to the Algerian government asking it to stop closing these churches. Since Open Doors ran this campaign, no more churches have been closed in Algeria. We attribute this to the combination of increased international media attention and the efforts of several organizations’ advocacy efforts.