The following information was provided to
the DIRB by an official at the Embassy of the People's Democratic
Republic of Algeria in Ottawa during a telephone interview on 28
June 1995.
The National Identity Card is made out of
green cardboard and measures approximately 15 cm by 10 cm and it is
folded in half to form a booklet. The words "Algerian Republic" and
"Identity Card", in Arabic, and the identification number appear on
the cover page. Once opened, the surname and the given name appear
in French on the left-hand side.
General information, such as the holder's
address, date of birth, place of birth and the date of issue of the
card, are on the inner right-hand side in Arabic. The holder's
picture is located at the bottom centre of the same side. The
holder's fingerprint appears in the bottom left corner of the same
side. An official signature with the seal from the institution
issuing the card is in the same side's bottom right corner. The
seal must overlap the picture. A "timbre fiscal" is stamped on the
back of the National ID Card. The official also stated that it is
generally the "officier d'état civil" from the city
town-hall or the prefecture who signs the ID card, which is valid
for 10 years. Lamination of the ID Card is optional.
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does
not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular
claim to refugee status or asylum.
Embassy of the People's Democratic
Republic of Algeria, Ottawa. 28 June 1995. Telephone interview with
official.