Algeria’s Foreign Ministry threatened a retaliatory response Monday after denouncing France for its “flagrant breach” of a 2013 accord that exempted bearers of diplomatic passports from the need for a visa. The censure followed claims on Saturday that France required Algerian officials with diplomatic passports to have a visa, according to French right-leaning media that cited anonymous sources.
Algerian-French relations have worsened sharply in 2024–2025, reaching what experts term the worst diplomatic crisis since Algeria’s independence in 1962. The standoff today includes retaliatory expulsions of diplomats, reciprocal charges of protocol violations, and rising rhetoric threatening long-standing economic, social, and security ties.
Why is Algeria threatening retaliatory diplomatic measures?
Algeria expressed “great astonishment” at what it represented as recent outcomes in French authorities’ handling and rhetoric concerning visa issues, especially the exemption for diplomatic and service passport holders.
Foreign Ministry noted that “The French discussion about this issue seems to be taking an unusual and questionable direction, marked by deliberate media leaks to specifically selected venues by the French Interior Ministry and the National Police Directorate.”
“It is clear that French decisions are currently being shared through unofficial channels, which constitutes a blatant violation of accepted diplomatic standards and directly breaches the 2013 Algerian-French agreement regarding visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic and service passports.”
the statement said.
The ministry added that Algeria
“will react by firmly and accurately implementing the principle of reciprocity, relative to the degree of France’s violation of its commitments and obligations.”
Algeria emphasised that, in contrast to Article 8 of the agreement, it has not received any official notification from France via diplomatic channels, which is the sole method recognized in international relations.
“The French administration appears to be heading towards freezing or suspending the 2013 agreement, seeking to avoid responsibility and consequences that arise from this obvious breach of the agreement,”
the ministry added.
How serious is the Algerian-French diplomatic breakdown?
The crisis was precipitated when French President Emmanuel Macron openly endorsed Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, a region claimed by Morocco but espoused by Algeria as the base of the pro-independence Polisario Front. The action infuriated Algiers to immediately recall Algeria’s ambassador from Paris.
Are both countries abandoning diplomatic communication protocols?
Tensions further deteriorated in April 2025 when French officials detained an Algerian consular officer over the kidnapping of Amir Boukhors (Amir DZ), a vocal Algerian government critic who resides in France. Algeria retaliated by expelling 12 French diplomats; France countered by expelling 12 Algerian diplomats and withdrawing its ambassador from Algiers.
The bilateral relationship has been seriously impacted by the legacy of French colonial domination (1830–1962), the independence war, and recurrent quarrels over memories and commemorations of the past. Paris has supported visa controls on Algerians and sounded alarm at collaboration on expulsions.
Algeria, meanwhile, blacklisted French firms from public tenders and changed its education policy to prioritise English over French. The crisis jeopardises more than $12 billion in yearly trade and makes travel difficult for hundreds of thousands of Algerian-born French citizens. Both nations face substantial economic and social repercussions if relations continue to worsen.
