• Algeria summoned France’s chargé d’affaires over the irregular posting of 15 agents.
• The diplomatic dispute follows expulsions, visa blocks, and rising political tensions.
• Longstanding disagreements over Western Sahara, migration, and colonial memory persist.

Algerian authorities demanded yesterday the immediate repatriation of several French personnel, accusing them of being stationed in Algeria under what they called irregular conditions. Local press agency APS reported that the request was delivered during a formal meeting with France’s chargé d’affaires at the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Algiers said France repeatedly violated procedures for assigning staff to its diplomatic and consular missions in Algeria. Officials reported that 15 French agents had recently entered the country without proper notification or prior accreditation requests.

Some reportedly carried diplomatic passports when they should have held service passports. Two of them were said to be from the French Interior Ministry and were partly replacing personnel previously declared persona non grata.

This move marks another spike in tensions between the two countries. The dispute escalated following the abduction of Algerian blogger Amir DZ in France and the arrest of an Algerian consular officer. In response, Algeria expelled 12 French diplomats. France then took reciprocal measures, blocking visas for some Algerian officials, including those with diplomatic passports.

Nine newly appointed Algerian consuls—among them those posted to Paris and Marseille—are still waiting for accreditation from the French government.

This latest incident adds to a growing list of unresolved issues. Algeria continues to reject France’s support for Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara, which directly conflicts with its backing of the Polisario Front.

On migration, Algeria refuses to readmit some nationals expelled by France. In turn, French officials have suggested reviewing the 1968 agreement that defines the legal status of Algerians living in France.

Tensions also remain high around colonial history. After President Emmanuel Macron’s 2021 remarks accusing Algeria of “weaponizing historical memory,” the speaker of Algeria’s National Assembly recently said a new law is being prepared to criminalize France’s colonial legacy in Algeria.

Despite these clashes, both sides appear willing to keep talking. On March 31, the presidents of France and Algeria spoke by phone; a sign that diplomacy is still on the table, even as relations remain strained.