What Do Algerians Think of French Threats Against Diplomatic Passport Holders?
Many Algerians denounce the privileges tied to diplomatic passports, especially as obtaining visas becomes increasingly difficult for the average citizen. The ongoing rift between Algiers and Paris has conveniently shed light on long-concealed truths. On Facebook, Nacer, an Algerian internet user, expresses a sentiment widely shared among his compatriots: “This brouhaha has lifted the veil on hidden truths.” He refers to the controversy surrounding Algerian diplomatic passports, which has emerged as a fresh point of tension in the already fragile Franco-Algerian relationship.
France’s Stance: Restrictions and Escalation
In its standoff with Algiers, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau reiterated on March 3, 2025, his proposal to “reconsider” the 2007 agreement facilitating the movement of diplomats between France and Algeria, as part of a graduated response to Algeria’s actions. Earlier, in January, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin had expressed his desire to “scrap” the 2013 Franco-Algerian intergovernmental agreement, which allows certain Algerian figures to “travel to France without a visa and move freely.”
The first agreement, signed on July 10, 2007, by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and his Algerian counterpart Mourad Medelci, took effect the following year. It grants “reciprocal visa exemptions for short stays to diplomatic passport holders.” The second, signed on December 16, 2013, by Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra and French Interior Minister Manuel Valls, extended this “reciprocal visa exemption for short stays” to holders of diplomatic or service passports, whether traveling for “professional” or “private” purposes across “the entire territory of the French Republic.”
While Paris has not officially terminated these agreements, it has tightened procedures for Algerian diplomatic passport holders, particularly at border police checkpoints (PAF). This shift comes in retaliation to Algeria’s refusal to repatriate its nationals under an OQTF (Obligation to Leave French Territory).
“Restrictive Measures” in Action
Retailleau told Le Figaro in early March that some Algerians have already been deported upon arrival at Roissy Airport, where Paris now “requires a mission order for Algerians presenting diplomatic passports.” On February 11, Abdelaziz Khellaf, former chief of staff to the Algerian presidency and ex-advisor to President Tebboune, was turned away at Orly Airport. Traveling with a diplomatic passport, he lacked the newly demanded travel insurance certificate and proof of accommodation. Similar incidents followed, including the rejection of another senior official and, on February 28, the wife of Algeria’s ambassador to Bamako.
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on BFMTV that France had imposed “restrictive measures on the movement and access to national territory for certain Algerian dignitaries” and was prepared to escalate further. Algiers condemned this as part of a “long list of provocations, intimidations, and threats directed at Algeria.”
Algerian Voices: Privilege Under Scrutiny
Beyond official outrage, the diplomatic passport saga has sparked debate in Algeria. Former Parliament Speaker Abdelaziz Ziari told a media outlet: “I will never use this document to go to France after the insults its leaders have hurled at Algeria. If my family, who live in France, want to see me, they can visit me here. Algerian authorities must take steps to stop France from using these passports to blackmail us.” He suggested the state should “instruct officials not to use them for travel to France—or, if they must, to go through another Schengen country.”
Former ambassador and ex-minister Abdelaziz Rahabi downplayed the issue: “Algeria has similar [diplomatic passport] agreements with about 60 countries, including 15 in the EU. Scrapping this one won’t make a difference.” Notably, Algeria signed a similar deal with Slovenia just last week.
“A Privileged Caste”
Political analyst and journalist Abed Charef argued: “Algeria should announce it’s ending the July 10, 2007 agreement. Objectively, Algeria gains little from it, while France uses it as recurring propaganda. Exiting would dismantle the humiliating narrative that regime apparatchiks and dignitaries owe favors to a country granting them privileges while ordinary people beg for visas with no guarantee of success.”
Commenting on Ziari’s stance, journalist Ali Boukhlef wrote on Facebook: “The former number-three official in protocol order exposes several flaws in Algeria’s political system. First, it legally creates a privileged caste—officials and sometimes their families—who retain diplomatic passports long after leaving office, when logic dictates that perks should end with the job.”
The Bigger Picture: Hypocrisy Laid Bare
Boukhlef added: “This crisis with France has a silver lining for us Algerians—it exposes the hypocrisy of a regime that champions sovereignty while its elites rush into the arms of the former colonial power for their families’ comfort. They admit, implicitly, that the quality of life they’ve promised in our ‘paradise on earth’ doesn’t exist.” One user quipped: “Many passport holders will mourn losing this golden ticket. They’ll finally taste the hassles ordinary citizens face at foreign consulates, after strutting through VIP airport lounges worldwide.”
Sociologist Nacer Djabi, writing in London-based Al Quds Al Arabi, noted: “Many citizens feel relieved by France’s stance against diplomatic passport holders. It highlights the gulf between the people and the ruling elite, accused by Algerians of selfishly ignoring public interests.”
Political scientist Mohamed Hennad criticized: “Ordinary Algerians face growing visa hurdles to enter France. Instead of addressing this, Algerian authorities focused on securing visa exemptions for themselves via diplomatic passports.” He, too, called for the agreement’s abolition.
