French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday instructed his government to tighten visa requirements for Algerian diplomats, as tensions escalate over the deportation of Algerian nationals.
In a letter to Prime Minister François Bayrou, , Macron said the increasing difficulties France is facing in terms of migration and security with Algeria necessitate a tougher stance against the former French colony.
Macron requested that Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot formally notify Algeria of the suspension of a 2013 agreement that exempted holders of diplomatic and official passports from visa requirements.
He also asked Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to coordinate with other Schengen zone countries where passport-free travel is permitted to support France’s new policy. This includes consulting France before issuing short-stay visas to Algerian officials and those holding passports covered under the now-suspended 2013 agreement.
“France must be strong and command respect. It can only receive this from its partners if it shows them the respect it demands from them. This basic rule also applies to Algeria,” Macron stated.
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Relations between Paris and Algiers have soured since July 2024, when France formally recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara a move opposed by Algeria.
Tensions further escalated following Algeria’s detention of Franco-Algerian author Boualem Sansal in November. The situation reached a boiling point in February 2025 after an Algerian national whom France had tried unsuccessfully to deport was arrested in connection with a knife attack in the city of Mulhouse, which left one person dead and three others injured.
Interior Minister Retailleau has consistently pushed for a revision of Franco-Algerian migration and visa agreements, citing Algeria’s continued refusal to accept the return of its citizens subject to France’s Obligation de Quitter le Territoire Français (OQTF), a legal order for deportation.
