Algeria suspends consular relations in Southern France over deportation dispute Photo

Algeria has suspended its consular services in the French cities of Nice, Marseille, and Montpellier, a move reportedly triggered by ongoing deportation campaigns targeting irregular Algerian migrants.

These migrants have been issued orders to leave French territory, Caliber.Az reports, referencing foreign media.

According to Algerian newspaper El Khabar, citing French radio station Europe 1, the consulate in Nice ceased all forms of cooperation with local authorities on March 11, following similar actions taken earlier with consulates in Marseille and Montpellier.

This suspension will halt consular hearings for Algerian nationals detained in French administrative centres and suspend the issuance of necessary documentation for their expulsion. The decision means that French authorities will no longer be able to verify the identities of illegal immigrants without passports through the consulates in these cities.

The El Khabar report also highlighted that this action stems from a bilateral agreement between the two nations, which stipulates that France cannot expel any Algerian citizen without prior consular authorisation.

Further reports suggest that Algeria has not accepted the deportation of 23 Algerian nationals ordered to leave France, including Boualem Naman, who was denied entry to France in January despite having lived in Montpellier for 30 years.

Algeria maintains 18 consulates across France, predominantly in areas with large Algerian immigrant populations. The suspension of consular services in Nice, Marseille, and Montpellier, which are home to the largest number of those facing deportation, marks a significant escalation in the diplomatic row between the two countries.

By Aghakazim Guliyev