The following information was provided by the Consular Affairs Officer and the Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of Algeria in Ottawa during a 19 March 2001 interview at the embassy.

No changes have been made to call-up orders, recall orders or orders to appear.

As a result of measures to regularize the position of individuals lacking the appropriate status vis-à-vis the National Service, changes were made to the exemption card and to the deferral card.

The exemption card is now light green and features an identification photograph. It is written in Arabic and shows the bearer's family name, given name and place of birth. It also specifies the level of regularization. Anyone whose status has been regularized receives an exemption card.

The deferral card, formerly yellow, is now the same light green as the exemption card and also includes a photograph of the bearer. It is written in Arabic and is renewable every year until the end of the person's studies.

This year, a census of people born in 1983 will be conducted. Once those people have been counted, they will receive a deferral card, which they must renew until their studies are completed. Once they have completed their studies, people with a deferral card can apply for an exemption card.

The regularization measures ended with people born in 1978. However, they are still in effect for people born before that year, who can still benefit from them.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection.

Embassy of Algeria in Ottawa. 19 March 2001. Interview with the Consular Affairs Officer and the Minister-Counsellor.