Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - France(04)- 17.03.2025

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs, Lounès Magramane, received the Chargé d'Affaires of France’s Embassy in Algeria at the Ministry's headquarters on Monday.

This meeting follows the one granted to the Chargé d'Affaires of the Algerian Embassy in France on March 14. On that occasion, the Algerian Chargé d'Affaires was provided with a list of Algerian nationals subject to removal orders from French territory.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed the French Chargé d'Affaires a note verbale containing the official response of the Algerian authorities.

In this response, Algeria reaffirms its categorical rejection of threats, attempts at intimidation, injunctions, ultimatums, and any coercive language. Furthermore, Algeria disapproves of France’s selective approach to bilateral and international agreements between the two countries. It reaffirms that, as far as it is concerned, Algeria is guided solely by its duty to provide consular protection to its nationals.

The Algerian authorities rejected both the form and the substance of the French approach. Regarding form, Algeria argued that France cannot unilaterally, and at its sole discretion, decide to bypass the established channel for processing expulsion cases.

The French side was consequently invited to respect the established procedure in this matter by adhering to the usual channel—maintained between French prefectures and the competent Algerian consulates—and by preserving the customary case-by-case processing method.

On the substance, Algeria’s response emphasized that the 1994 Memorandum of Understanding cannot be separated from the 1974 Convention on Consular Relations, which remains the primary framework for consular matters between the two countries. From this perspective, the implementation of one should not undermine the other, particularly when it comes to ensuring respect for the rights of individuals subject to removal measures.

For all these reasons, the Algerian authorities have decided not to act on the list submitted by the French authorities. The latter have been invited to follow the usual channel, specifically the one established between prefectures and consulates.