France has recognised additional sites at which Harkis – Muslims who fought alongside the French during the Algerian War – faced harsh living conditions following Algeria's independence. While the move will allow up to 6,000 more Harkis and their descendants to claim compensation, groups representing the victims say it doesn't go far enough in recognising their suffering.
The Harkis were Algerians who served as auxiliaries in the French army during the 1954-62 Algerian war of independence.
At the end of the war, thousands came to France, where they were housed in degrading, sometimes inhumane conditions.
M'hamed Bouchoucha was six years old when his parents arrived at the Citadelle d'Amiens, converted into a camp for Harkis in 1962.
"What killed me in the citadel was sleeping on bales of straw – for two years," he told TV channel France 3.
Between July 1962 and January 1964, it housed between 500 and 600 people – and for many it left deep scars.
"I have a very painful memory of my parents. Every evening I'd see them cry," Bouchoucha said.
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The Citadelle d'Amiens was already on the list of locations that qualify Harkis and their descendants for financial compensation, but a large number of others were not, until now.
In its 2025 report, presented on Tuesday to Prime Minister François Bayrou, the independent National Commission for the Recognition and Reparation of Harkis (CNIH) proposed adding new sites to the list.
Approved by Bayrou, the addition of 37 new locations at which this mistreatment took place could benefit an estimated 6,000 more people.
The facilities "aren’t camps or forest hamlets,” said Marc Del Grande, the CNIH's secretary-general. “They can include shantytowns, social housing units like Sonacotra residences, or well-identified urban areas," he told RFI.
"The selection criteria are very precise – including a high concentration of Harkis, degraded living conditions, spatial segregation and school segregation.”
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'A lot to be done'
While the move was welcomed by the Harki community, the expansion still falls short of expectations.
“There’s still a lot to be done,” said Kader Mokhtari, a member of the Justice for Harkis collective. “Thousands of victims are still excluded from the compensation scheme. One of the main demands from all Harki advocacy groups is that the compensation amounts still don't reflect the extent of the harm inflicted.”
Under a 2022 law, Harkis can claim compensation for having lived in substandard reception facilities in France between 1962 and 1975. At a meeting on Tuesday with the president of the CNIH, Françoise Dumas, Bayrou emphasised “the need to continue the work of reparation".
Since its creation in 2022, the CNIH has handled more than 27,000 claims and awarded almost €176 million in compensation.
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The Rivesaltes camp
Meanwhile, families of deceased Harkis are still looking for answers about what happened to the remains of their relatives who died at the Rivesaltes camp in the south of France.
"An investigation is progressing, but there are still many grey areas," said Patricia Miralles, Minister Delegate for Remembrance.
Between 1962 and 1965, around 21,000 Harkis and their families passed through Rivesaltes, which had been used as a concentration camp, mainly for Roma people, during the Second World War.
At least 146 Harkis died, including within the camp itself. Their families continue to demand a dignified burial and gravesite for their loved ones.
Excavations carried out in 2024 by France’s National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research, helped identify the site of the cemetery through grave stakes and numbered plaques. Family representatives were able to visit the site for the first time.
Four boxes containing thousands of bones were discovered in the municipal cemetery – likely the remains of Harkis who were relocated in 1986 without their families’ knowledge. Authorities say there is a “strong presumption” about their identity, but further research is needed to confirm it.
