A total of 12 French embassy staff have been asked to leave the territory of Algeria in 48 hours amid ongoing tensions.
Announcing the news, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Noël Barrot, said that the move seems to be a reaction to the arrest of three Algerian officials in France suspected of involvement in the abduction of the exiled influencer Amir Boukhors, Schengen.News reports.
As France 24 explains, the decision of Algeria to send back French officials has been highly condemned by Minister Barrot, who has asked the Algerian authorities to abandon such measures.
The Minister also warned that if this decision is maintained, France will respond immediately but did not share what measures the country plans on taking against Algeria.
I am asking Algerian authorities to abandon these expulsion measures. If the decision to send back our officials is maintained, we will have no other choice but to respond immediately.
Sources have said that some of the individuals affected are members of the Ministry of Interior of France.
Algeria Summoned French Ambassador After France Indicted 3 Officials
The Algerian authorities summoned that French ambassador after France indicted three officials, one of which was also an Algerian consular official, in connection with the kidnapping of Amir Boukhors.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Algeria said that the ambassador was summoned to express strong protest against France’s decision.
The Ministry further said that the consular official was arrested in public and taken to custody without the French authorities notifying Algeria of this decision through diplomatic channels.
The consular official along with the other two officials were indicted by the French authorities on charges including abduction, illegal confinement, and arbitrary detention.
Boukhors was abducted in Paris in April 2024, and according to his lawyer, he was released the following day.
The Algerian authorities are now requiring that the influencer return to France to face trial.
France-Algeria Relationship Continues to Deteriorate Due to Due to Inability to Find Common Ground
The relationship between France and Algeria has been very strained lately. The two countries have been dealing with many disagreements, mainly linked to Algerian nationals in France who have received an order to leave the country.
Earlier in March, France sent a list to Algeria of around 60 Algerians who face deportation. Despite them not holding the documentation to remain within France’s territory, Algeria rejected such a list, and invited the French authorities to follow “the usual channel”.
This response worsened the situation and now France is set to suspend visa-free travel for all Algerian diplomatic passport holders.