Commemoration of the National Immigration Day 17th October 1961
On 17th October 2026, the staff of the Algerian Embassy in London commemorated the National Immigration Day.
This anniversary commemorates the tragic events experienced by Algerians living in France. On 5th October 1961, the Paris police, under the leadership of its then chief, Maurice Papon, issued an order imposing a racist and discriminatory curfew targeting Algerian immigrants in France exclusively.
For the French repressive police force, this was not merely an administrative measure. Rather, it was intended to paralyse the activities of Algerian workers who were helping to supply the revolution, thereby cutting off all forms of funding and logistical support. This was particularly significant because the Algerian Revolution had entered its seventh year, and the balance was beginning to tip in favour of the Algerians.
The Algerian immigrants refused to accept the decision. Under the banner of the French Federation of the National Liberation Front (FLN), they decided to organise peaceful protest demonstrations against this arbitrary and discriminatory measure imposed upon them. On 17th October 1961, men, women and children took to the streets, raising slogans calling for an end to the French occupation of Algeria.
Papon’s brutal police force could not tolerate the Algerians’ defiance of its order and decided to retaliate by subjecting them to repression. Papon authorised his officers to open fire on the demonstrators, killing thousands and throwing their bodies into the River Seine.
October 17th remains one of the darkest, most heinous, and most brutal chapters of French colonialism in Algeria; yet, at the same time, it stands as a testament to sacrifice for the homeland, made by migrants whose bodies had left the country, but whose hearts remained tethered to the land and to freedom.
Glory and Eternity for our Glorious Martyrs