Algeria officially withdrew all privileged access cards for its ports and airports granted to the French Embassy on Saturday, citing reciprocal measures.
This decision came as a reciprocal move to what Algiers perceives as restrictions imposed on its diplomats in France.
The Algerian Foreign Ministry confirmed reclaiming all these privileged access cards granted to the French Embassy in Algiers through an official statement.
The ministry’s action followed its second summoning of the French chargé d’affaires on Saturday, indicating rising tensions between the nations.
Algeria viewed France’s actions regarding the obstruction of diplomatic pouches as a “blatant violation of international obligations” by the French government.
These French obstructions, initially affecting only the Algerian Embassy in Paris, have now extended to include Algeria’s various consular centers in France.
This escalation occurred despite previous assurances from the French Foreign Ministry that it would thoroughly review and address these impeding measures.
This diplomatic dispute marks a new and concerning escalation in relations, representing the most serious rift since Algeria’s 1962 independence from France.
Both nations had already downgraded their diplomatic representation to the level of chargé d’affaires in July 2024. This previous downgrade followed Paris formally endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara, a position Algeria consistently and strongly opposes.