France considers ending special migration status for Algerians

France has threatened to reconsider the 1968 agreements with Algeria, which facilitate the residency, movement, and employment of Algerians in France.

This move comes in response to rising tensions between the two nations, exacerbated by a recent knife attack in Mulhouse (eastern France) involving an Algerian national in an irregular situation.

As a sign of escalating tensions, Algeria’s Council of the Nation (its Senate equivalent) announced the suspension of its relations with the French Senate. This decision was made in protest against French Senate President Gérard Larcher’s visit to Western Sahara, a disputed territory where Algeria supports the Polisario Front against Morocco.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou, addressing the situation, stated that France does not seek escalation but aims to ensure its stance is clearly understood.

"Our goal is not escalation, but we want to make it clear that we cannot allow a situation that damages Franco-Algerian relations and our society," Bayrou said after an interministerial committee meeting on immigration.

The recent attack in Mulhouse has further fueled the diplomatic row. The 37-year-old Algerian suspect, residing illegally in France under a deportation order (OQTF), allegedly killed one person and wounded seven others.

Bayrou revealed that the suspect had been presented to Algerian authorities 14 times, yet Algeria refused to accept his return each time. He directly linked the victims of the attack to the failure of the Algerian government to comply with deportation requests.

To address this issue, France will demand a comprehensive review of the 1968 agreements and their implementation within six weeks. Meanwhile, French authorities will present an urgent list of individuals deemed high-risk, requiring immediate deportation to Algeria.

"If no resolution is reached, terminating the agreements would be our only option," Bayrou warned.

Visa Restrictions and Border Control Measures

As part of its stricter immigration policy, France has already implemented travel restrictions on Algerian dignitaries, affecting "a few hundred individuals," Bayrou confirmed. Algerian officials reacted with "astonishment" and denounced the measure as a provocation."

The French government is also reviewing its visa issuance policies to align with cooperation levels from countries of origin regarding migration control. This measure could lead to further visa restrictions for Algerian nationals.

Additionally, France is considering the nationwide expansion of a "border force", which is currently being tested at the Franco-Italian border, integrating police, gendarmerie, and customs officials to combat illegal immigration.

The Mulhouse attack has significantly strained relations between Paris and Algiers, following a series of disputes, including Algeria’s repeated refusals to accept deported nationals and the detention of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in Algeria.

France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, acknowledged that visa and travel restrictions had been in place for weeks, even before the Mulhouse attack.

The 1968 agreement between France and Algeria, which provides Algerians with a unique migration status, has already been revised three times since its inception. In 2022, both nations agreed to revisit the terms once again, but no changes have been made so far.

With mounting tensions, the future of these agreements remains uncertain, and France appears ready to take more decisive action if diplomatic efforts do not yield results.