Paris, France — The longstanding and often volatile relationship between France and Algeria has reached a critical point, with diplomatic tensions escalating sharply in recent weeks.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced on Wednesday that his government would spend up to six weeks re-examining all immigration agreements made with Algiers since Algeria’s independence in 1962.
This move, he added, would be accompanied by a plan to present Algerian authorities with a list of nationals living in France whom Paris intends to deport.
The decision follows an incident that has intensified already strained relations: an undocumented Algerian national, reportedly suffering from schizophrenia, killed one person and wounded six others in a stabbing spree in the French town of Mulhouse.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, of the right-wing Les Républicains party, disclosed that the suspect had been under an OQTF (“obligation to leave French territory”) deportation order. However, Algerian authorities had allegedly refused to take him back, exacerbating tensions between the two nations.
Retailleau has accused the Algerian government of attempting to “humiliate” France by refusing to cooperate on the deportation of undocumented Algerians.
The deportation debate has sparked a broader crisis, reflecting deeper historical and political issues that continue to divide the two nations.
Deportation Disputes: A Tipping Point
The deportation row took a high-profile turn with the case of Boualem Naman, a 59-year-old social influencer known as “Doualemn,” who has lived legally in France for 36 years.
Naman was deported to Algeria for allegedly inciting violence against an Algerian activist but was returned to France the same day, with Algiers insisting that he deserved a fair trial in France.
The OQTF order was subsequently lifted by a local court, a decision that Interior Minister Retailleau has vowed to appeal. Algeria’s reluctance to accept deportees is not unique, yet it has become a focal point for the French government.
In 2024, of the 5,000 deportation requests made by France, only 42 percent were approved by Algerian authorities—significantly lower than the 60 percent acceptance rate seen with other countries.
Fueling the Flames: The Case of Boualem Sansal
Tensions were further inflamed by the arrest of Boualem Sansal, an Algerian-born writer who was granted French citizenship in 2023.
Sansal, a critic of both authoritarianism and Islamism, was charged with “undermining the integrity of national territory” following comments to a French far-right newspaper suggesting that parts of western Algeria rightfully belonged to Morocco.
His detention has added a symbolic layer to the diplomatic row, underscoring the deep historical wounds between the two nations.
The arrest came shortly after French President Emmanuel Macron reversed decades of policy by recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara—a move that enraged Algiers, which supports the independence-seeking Polisario Front. The timing and symbolism of these events have made the situation even more volatile.
Historical Wounds and the Question of Memory
The strained relations between Paris and Algiers are rooted in a painful colonial history. Algeria, a French colony from 1830 until its hard-fought independence in 1962, has long accused France of refusing to fully acknowledge its past actions.
The controversy resurfaced when Macron remarked that Algeria was not a nation before French colonization, igniting widespread outrage in Algeria.
Yahia Zoubir, a senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, emphasized that the French government’s handling of the Mulhouse incident shows how domestic politics are shaping France’s foreign policy.
“They could have focused on the psychiatric issues of the attacker instead of making it about his nationality,” he noted. “But the narrative was too convenient for the interior minister, who is trying to galvanize support from anti-immigration voters.”
Political scientist Khadija Mohsen-Finan, from Paris Sorbonne-CNRS’s SIRICE research centre, argued that the current crisis must be seen in the context of France’s own political turmoil.
The dissolution of the National Assembly by Macron in June 2024 has left the government relying on support from the right-wing Les Républicains, a party that has increasingly used Algeria as a political scapegoat.
The Political Chessboard: Preparing for 2027
With the 2027 French presidential elections on the horizon, anti-immigration rhetoric has gained momentum.
Mohsen-Finan pointed out that some factions within Les Républicains are using the Algerian issue to consolidate their voter base. “They have basically created an enemy that embodies immigration and insecurity,” she explained.
Interior Minister Retailleau’s hardline stance reflects this strategy. He has repeatedly blamed Algerian authorities for undermining France’s sovereignty by refusing to cooperate on deportations.
However, this approach risks alienating the significant Algerian-French community, which includes both legal residents and undocumented migrants.
Economic Ties Under Strain
Despite political tensions, economic ties between the two countries remain significant. European demand for Algeria’s natural gas has surged following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, making Algeria a crucial energy partner for France and the EU.
However, the escalating political dispute threatens to overshadow these economic interests. Zoubir suggested that the historical resentment over French colonial rule complicates efforts to separate politics from trade.
“For many Algerians, this is about dignity and sovereignty,” he said. “The perception is that France still has not come to terms with Algeria’s independence.”
A Diplomatic Deadlock
The likelihood of a diplomatic resolution appears remote. Algeria’s decision to withdraw its ambassador to France amid the Western Sahara controversy underscores the depth of the crisis. Macron’s administration, meanwhile, has shown little willingness to de-escalate.
The French government’s focus on deportations, combined with Retailleau’s inflammatory rhetoric, suggests that domestic political gains are taking precedence over mending bilateral relations.
The threat to review the 1968 migration pact—long seen as a pillar of French-Algerian relations—could have far-reaching consequences, not least for the millions of French residents with ties to Algeria.
The Impact on Algerian-French Communities
For the nearly 2 million people of Algerian descent living in France, the deteriorating relations are cause for concern.
Many fear that the French government’s actions are part of a broader effort to criminalize Algerian communities. “It’s a way of casting an anathema on a country, and of creating an enemy,” said Mohsen-Finan.
Legal Algerian residents also face growing uncertainties about their status, particularly if the French government moves to revise the 1968 migration pact. The possibility of stricter visa regulations and a crackdown on dual citizenship could disrupt the lives of thousands.
Conclusion: A Path Forward?
As the two governments remain entrenched in their positions, the prospect of reconciliation seems distant. The historical grievances that underpin the crisis—colonialism, national sovereignty, and memory—are unlikely to be resolved through short-term political maneuvers.
For now, the focus in Paris appears to be on leveraging the crisis for domestic political gain, even at the risk of alienating a key energy partner and inflaming tensions with a significant minority community at home.
As Prime Minister Bayrou’s government moves forward with its review of migration agreements, the stakes continue to rise. The next six weeks will be crucial in determining whether French-Algerian relations can recover or if they are set to enter an even more contentious phase.
