The population of Tindouf camps in Western Sahara has been a subject of dispute for decades. Algeria and the Polisario have presented the camps as being inhabited exclusively by refugees from the Sahara. However, historical evidence suggests that a significant proportion of the camp population originates from other parts of the Sahara, including Algeria, Mauritania, Mali, and Morocco. A 1977 report by the US State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research noted that a majority of the camp population may not have originated from the Sahara.
The US State Department's reports have consistently highlighted discrepancies in the population figures of Tindouf camps. A 1991 human rights report recorded estimates attributed to MINURSO personnel, indicating that the camps housed approximately 80,000 refugees, with 25,000 to 30,000 originating from other countries in the region. These figures contrast with the UNHCR's longstanding estimate of 165,000 refugees, a number Algeria has used for political and economic purposes. The discrepancies have been a major obstacle to conducting a fair and transparent referendum.
Algeria's refusal to allow an independent census has prevented the international community from determining the actual number and origins of people living in the camps. The US State Department's 1990 human rights report repeated the estimate of 165,000 refugees, but the following year's report recorded lower estimates attributed to MINURSO personnel and former camp residents. The 1992 State Department report acknowledged that UNHCR's estimate was based on figures provided by the Algerian government.
Concerns about inflated numbers have affected humanitarian planning. In September 2005, UNHCR and the World Food Program reduced their planning figure from approximately 155,000-158,000 beneficiaries to 90,000. The US State Department's 2005 human rights report documented the discrepancy between official figures and actual numbers in Tindouf. The reduction in planning figures demonstrated that serious concerns about the reliability of the figures supplied for humanitarian assistance had become impossible to ignore.
The UN's inability to establish the actual number of refugees and align humanitarian assistance with independently verified needs has been a longstanding issue. The Trump administration made a census one of the core objectives of its efforts to resolve the Sahara dispute. Without a credible census, it is challenging for the international community to establish who actually lives in the camps, where they originated, or how many genuinely come from the Sahara.
UNHCR has sought to conduct independent registration and establish reliable population figures for decades. However, Algeria has consistently refused, citing the need for a global resolution to the Western Saharan conflict. In 2005, documentation submitted to the US Congress revealed that UNHCR had formally requested permission from the Algerian government to register the Tindouf camp population multiple times, but to no avail.
The issue remains unresolved, with Algeria's refusal to allow a census and the UN's inaction contributing to the persistence of inflated refugee figures. The international community continues to face challenges in establishing the actual number and origins of people living in the Tindouf camps.
Key points
- Algeria's refusal to allow an independent census in Tindouf camps has raised concerns about the actual number of refugees and their origins.
- The US State Department's reports have consistently highlighted discrepancies in the population figures of Tindouf camps.
- The UN's inability to establish the actual number of refugees has been a longstanding issue, affecting humanitarian planning and the resolution of the Sahara dispute.
