France has introduced new visa restrictions on Algerian diplomatic and service passport holders, escalating tensions between Paris and Algiers following a recent diplomatic fallout.
According to French government sources, all Algerian nationals holding diplomatic or service passports are now required to present a valid Schengen visa to enter French territory. The move marks a shift in long-standing protocols and takes immediate effect.
The directive, issued by the General Directorate of the National Police, instructs border authorities to enforce the new rule strictly. Any Algerian diplomat arriving at the French border without the required visa will be denied entry and subject to expulsion procedures.
“This measure applies without delay and concerns all agencies managing France’s external borders,” the Directorate stated, emphasizing that Algerian diplomatic or service passport holders without valid visas will be turned back at entry points.
French officials say the decision is part of a “graduated response” promised by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. The change comes shortly after Algeria expelled 15 French officials who were temporarily deployed to assist with visa services amid staffing shortages.
The Algerian government claimed the officials had been assigned without following proper administrative channels and demanded their immediate removal. France condemned the expulsion, with Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot calling it “unjustifiable.”
In what is widely seen as a retaliatory measure, France moved to tighten entry requirements for Algerian diplomats. Minister Barrot defended the visa requirement as a “proportionate response” to Algeria’s actions.
The latest development underscores growing strains in Franco-Algerian relations, with both sides taking firm stances on diplomatic protocol and administrative cooperation.