The Catholic charity Caritas in Algeria has announced it will cease operations in the country for almost 60 years in response to a request from the authorities, a church spokesman told AFP.

Algerian Archbishop Jean-Paul Viscoe said authorities consider Caritas “an unauthorized organization”, adding that “a number of activities, including assistance to migrants, will be stopped.”

Earlier, the Episcopal Assembly of Algiers announced in a statement: “The Catholic Church of Algiers announces with regret the complete and final closure of the services of Caritas Algiers, effective October 1st.”

The 2012 law requires all registered non-profit organizations to submit new documents. In 2018, the government submitted a proposal to exclude religious organizations, but it did not see the light of day.

Caritas Algiers was created in 1962, days before the country declared its independence from France at the end of the Eight Years’ War.

Caritas International, headquartered in the Vatican, has branches in more than 160 countries and is dedicated to helping the poor and victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts.