The Archbishop of Algiers, Jean-Paul Vesco, said Caritas was deemed an unauthorised organisation and that work such as aid to migrants would stop completely at the end of the month.

Religious charities were due to be exempted from regulations requiring non-profit organisations to submit new documentation, but this never happened.

Algerian law guarantees freedom of religion, though places of worship and preachers must be licensed.

Vatican-based Caritas operates in 160 countries.