Algeria vows retaliation after France expels diplomats in visa row

Algeria has announced it will take retaliatory measures against France in response to the recent expulsion of Algerian diplomats who did not hold visas, vowing to act based on the principle of reciprocity.

In a statement issued by the Algerian Foreign Ministry, the government made clear that its response would be proportionate to what it views as a violation by France of the 2013 bilateral agreement, which established a visa-free regime for holders of diplomatic and service passports, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The Algerian authorities expressed strong disapproval of what they described as the French government’s disrespect for diplomatic protocol. They accused French officials in Paris of orchestrating a deliberate and selective leak to the media, engineered by the Interior Ministry and the General Directorate of the National Police. According to the communiqué, France now communicates its diplomatic decisions via these unofficial media leaks, which Algeria considers a serious departure from established international diplomatic practice. The statement emphasised that France had failed to deliver any official notification to Algeria through proper diplomatic channels — the only format recognised between sovereign states.

The Foreign Ministry underlined that it regards France as entirely responsible for the first violations of the 2013 visa exemption agreement, and it firmly rejected Paris’s claim that Algiers was the first to breach its commitments under the accord. Algeria’s government stressed that it viewed the French assertions as both incorrect and misleading. The statement further suggested that France appeared to be attempting to unilaterally suspend or freeze the agreement, while simultaneously avoiding responsibility for the consequences of doing so.

On May 14, France made public its decision to expel Algerian diplomats who lacked valid visas. The move came as a response to Algeria’s own decision to expel French diplomats stationed in Algiers under temporary missions. These expulsions are the latest in a series of tit-for-tat actions that have deepened tensions between the two countries.

The diplomatic standoff intensified last month following the arrest of three Algerian nationals in France on April 11. They were detained in connection with alleged offenses committed on French territory. In retaliation, Algeria expelled 12 members of the French embassy staff within 48 hours, placing the blame for the escalating diplomatic crisis squarely on the shoulders of the French Interior Ministry. Paris responded with a mirror action, also expelling 12 Algerian diplomats.

Relations between the two countries have been strained for some time. In late July 2024, Algeria recalled its ambassador from France after the French government formally endorsed Morocco’s plan to grant autonomy to Western Sahara — a position Algeria vehemently opposes. Algeria has long supported the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and full independence and views French backing of Morocco’s plan as a betrayal of this principle.

The legacy of colonialism continues to weigh heavily on the relationship. Algeria was a French colony from 1830 until 1962, gaining independence after a prolonged and bloody war of national liberation that lasted from 1954 to 1962. For many years, both Algerian officials and civil society groups have called on France to issue a full, formal apology for crimes committed during the colonial period. This demand remains a core grievance in bilateral ties, and the current dispute over the expulsion of diplomats underscores the fragility and depth of unresolved tensions between Paris and Algiers.

By Tamilla Hasanova