France has moved to tighten visa requirements for Algerian diplomats and officials as tensions between Paris and Algiers over deportations reach a breaking point. President Emmanuel Macron, in a letter to Prime Minister François Bayrou seen by Reuters, directed his government to take a firmer stance against Algeria, citing mounting challenges over migration and security.
The measures include suspending a 2013 agreement that exempted Algerian diplomatic and official passport holders from visa requirements. Macron instructed Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to formally notify Algeria of the decision. He also asked Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to urge Schengen zone countries to consult France before granting short-stay visas to Algerian officials covered under the suspended deal.
“France must be strong and command respect,” Macron wrote. “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.”
Relations between the two countries, which share deep historical and political ties, have soured sharply in recent months. The diplomatic rift began in July 2024 when France recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, a move that angered Algeria, Morocco’s regional rival.
The dispute worsened after Algerian authorities detained Franco-Algerian author Boualem Sansal in November 2024. Tensions peaked in February 2025 when an Algerian national — whom France had unsuccessfully sought to deport for years — was arrested as the suspect in a fatal knife attack in Mulhouse that killed one person and injured three others.
At the heart of the standoff is Algeria’s refusal to accept its citizens who have been ordered to leave France under the “OQTF” (Obligation de Quitter le Territoire Français) deportation regime. Interior Minister Retailleau has long argued for revisiting the 1968 Franco-Algerian migration accords, saying the current arrangements undermine France’s ability to enforce immigration law.
The visa clampdown marks one of the most significant escalations in Franco-Algerian relations in years, potentially affecting diplomatic engagement and cooperation on issues ranging from trade to counterterrorism. With neither side showing signs of backing down, the dispute threatens to deepen, casting uncertainty over future ties between Paris and Algiers.
