PARIS — Algeria clapped back at France on Wednesday amid a deepening row between the two countries, accusing Paris of following “orders from the far right” by clamping down on visas granted to Algerians.
“This dynamic, which has drawn in … members of the French government, could have immeasurable consequences for all aspects of Algerian-French relations,” the Algerian Foreign Affairs Ministry wrote in a statement.
Relations between France and Algeria, a former French colony, have become increasingly strained in recent months with the two sides at odds over a regional sovereignty dispute in North Africa and the status of numerous Algerian influencers accused of attempting to incite violence in France.
But the latest flash point concerns immigration and visa restrictions, and it comes amid the backdrop of a deadly knife attack on Saturday allegedly perpetrated by a 37-year-old Algerian citizen who had a “schizophrenic profile.”
In an interview Wednesday morning before the French government was scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on the attack, Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said measures had been taken to restrict certain Algerian officials from entering France. A foreign ministry official later clarified that those measures had come into effect before Saturday.
However, the Algerian statement seemed to indicate that Algiers learned of the restrictions at the same time as the rest of the public.
“The Algerian government expresses its surprise and astonishment at this announcement, of which it was in no way informed,” the statement said. “These measures … [are] part of the long list of provocations, intimidations and threats directed against Algeria.”
The Wednesday meeting will tackle immigration writ large, notably from Algeria and not just travel by the country’s official representatives. Government spokesperson Sophie Primas said Tuesday that ministers will discuss restricting access to visas for all Algerians in response to Saturday’s attack, though the proposal had been mooted prior to the incident.
France had previously tried to deport the Mulhouse suspect 10 times — but Paris claimed Algeria refused to repatriate him each time. The Algerian Foreign Ministry statement made no mention of the attempted repatriations.
Algerians represented 12.2 percent of immigrants living in France in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available from the country’s statistics office.
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