Deported from France, a 30-year-old Algerian refused entry by his own country
A 30-year-old Algerian, expelled by the French judiciary, was sent back to France as soon as he arrived at Oran airport last Tuesday, despite holding a valid identity card. Algerian authorities refused to admit him due to the absence of a consular pass.
The man had been convicted in May by the Thonon-les-Bains court (in the Haute-Savoie region) and sentenced to six months in prison, along with a ban on residing in France, for various offenses, including theft, receiving stolen goods, and carrying a bladed weapon, according to judicial documents. After serving his sentence, the Prefect of Savoie issued an Obligation to Leave French Territory (OQTF), and he was placed in a detention center in Lyon on November 19, awaiting deportation.
As the legal detention period was coming to an end, he was deported under police escort on a flight to Algeria. However, upon landing in Oran on the night of February 10 to 11, he was immediately sent back to France due to the lack of a consular pass, despite his valid identity card. During the deportation attempt, he allegedly resisted and bit one of the officers, leading to charges of “insult and violence” in an immediate trial on Monday.
The Lyon criminal court sentenced him to six months in prison and banned him from entering French territory for three years, in accordance with the prosecution’s request.
Deportations to Algeria: an administrative nightmare
According to Laurent Bohé, the lawyer representing the Lyon police officers who filed a civil lawsuit in this case, “Deporting Algerians has become an almost impossible task.” He added: “Previously, a valid identity document was enough, but now, without a consular pass, everything is uncertain,” lamenting the increasingly complex procedures.
For Wilfried Grepinet, the defense attorney, the situation is “absurd.” He stated: “Algeria refused to allow its own citizen to return, even though his papers were in order. Now, after serving his sentence, he will be sent back to a detention center under deplorable conditions.”
A new requirement that worries Paris
Bruno Retailleau, France’s Minister of the Interior, acknowledged this “new additional requirement” imposed by the national airline Air Algérie, which now demands a consular pass even for individuals holding valid identity documents. In an official memo to his staff, he instructed them to request written confirmations when encountering such obstacles.
This is not an isolated case. In January, Algeria had already refused entry to an Algerian influencer expelled from France for posting a video inciting violence, despite holding a valid passport. At the time, Retailleau accused the Algerian government of attempting to “humiliate France” and violating the 1993 bilateral agreement, which states that “a passport alone is sufficient” for the readmission of Algerian nationals.
