Algeria rejects France’s “blackmail” over deportations

Algeria has strongly rejected what it sees as France’s “language of threats and blackmail,” insisting that any bilateral matters must be handled through officially established channels, according to a statement from the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministry, in a post on its official X account on Tuesday, confirmed that it had refused to accept a list of Algerian nationals marked for deportation from France, criticizing the selection process as arbitrary.

#بيان وزارة الشؤون الخارجية  pic.twitter.com/b3K3h4OKOz

— وزارة الشؤون الخارجية| MFA-Algeria (@Algeria_MFA) March 17, 2025

Lounès Magramane, Secretary-General of the Algerian Foreign Ministry, conveyed the country’s stance directly to the chargé d’affaires of the French embassy in Algiers, underscoring Algeria’s firm refusal to accept ultimatums on the issue.

Algeria dismissed France’s approach as selective and in violation of existing agreements. The ministry emphasized that deportation cases must be handled under the agreed legal framework, warning that France cannot unilaterally modify established procedures.

The statement highlighted that the 1994 protocol on deportations must be applied alongside the broader 1974 consular agreement, stressing that enforcing one without the other risks undermining individuals’ rights.

In light of these concerns, Algeria has decided not to consider the deportation list presented by French authorities.