France and Algeria Clash Over Immigration and Visa Restrictions
France and Algeria are facing new tensions over immigration policies and visa restrictions, following a deadly knife attack on Saturday allegedly carried out by a 37-year-old Algerian citizen with a history of schizophrenia.
France Imposes Entry Restrictions on Algerian Officials
Ahead of an emergency government meeting on the attack, French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on Wednesday that France had implemented measures to restrict the entry of certain Algerian officials. A foreign ministry official later clarified that these restrictions had been in place before Saturday.
However, Algeria reacted with surprise, suggesting that it had not been informed of the measures in advance. In a statement, the Algerian government expressed “astonishment”, calling the restrictions part of “a long list of provocations, intimidations, and threats” against the country.
France Considers Tighter Visa Controls
The emergency meeting on Wednesday aimed to address broader immigration concerns, particularly those related to Algeria. Government spokesperson Sophie Primas said on Tuesday that discussions would include the possibility of tightening visa access for all Algerians, a measure that had been under consideration even before the recent attack.
Deportation Attempts Blocked
The suspect in Saturday’s attack had been subject to 10 deportation attempts by France, but according to French authorities, Algeria repeatedly refused his repatriation. However, Algeria’s statement did not address these repatriation refusals.
Algerians made up 12.2 percent of immigrants in France in 2023, according to the country’s statistics office—the most recent year for which data is available.
The dispute over immigration and deportation policies is likely to further strain diplomatic relations between the two countries, which have a long and often difficult history regarding migration and security issues.
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