Algeria rejects latest French deportation plan

Algeria has refused France’s request to deport around 60 Algerians, denouncing Paris’s “threats” and “ultimatums,” according to AFP citing a statement from the Algerian foreign ministry. The dispute marks the latest strain in relations, already tense since France formally recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara last year.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau claims the individuals targeted for deportation are “dangerous” or former convicts. Algeria, however, insists it is protecting its citizens’ rights and fulfilling consular obligations. 

Tensions have escalated as Algeria resists accepting undocumented migrants from France. In response, Prime Minister François Bayrou warned of revoking a special status granted to Algerians in France. President Emmanuel Macron later backed renegotiating—though not annulling—the 1968 bilateral agreement governing Algerian migration.

France has also threatened visa restrictions and aid reductions, fueling further discord. The standoff underscores ongoing frictions rooted in colonial history and evolving geopolitical rivalries.