Where do the millions of dollars collected by Algerian consulates abroad go?

There are 193 UN member states. 162 of these countries are represented in France by embassies and/or consulates.

Algeria is the country with the most consulates in France, with a total of 18. Along with Germany, it has the highest number of consulates in France.

These consulates, simply put, are not meant to engage in politics. They serve an administrative role comparable to that of municipalities, exclusively for their citizens.

Thus, a consulate is authorized to legalize documents such as powers of attorney intended for use in the country it represents.

For example, an Algerian consulate legalizes the powers of attorney of Algerian citizens, allowing these authenticated documents to be used in Algeria for various administrative procedures.

To legalize their power of attorney or any other document, the citizen of the respective country must purchase a tax stamp from the consulate. Less than two years ago, the price of the tax stamp for legalizing a power of attorney was €0.50. A few months ago, the price of this stamp increased to… €5. It is now the most expensive tax stamp among all African and Arab consulates. Why such a significant increase?

According to insider information, the average number of documents legalized daily at a typical Algerian consulate is around 120.

Thus, for 18 consulates, with an average of just 100 legalizations per day per consulate, we reach a total of 1,800 legalizations per day across all consulates. At €5 per legalization, this results in a daily revenue of €9,000 solely from legalizations.

If we add the earnings from other Algerian consulates worldwide, we can easily estimate that the amount collected from the diaspora reaches several million dollars.

So, where does this money go?

No one knows where this money goes. Has an official “black fund” been established, similar to the one that led to Bouteflika’s downfall in the early 1980s?

One thing is certain: this money is not used to pay local staff, the diplomatic personnel sent from Algeria, or for the maintenance of the premises. All of these expenses are covered by the central budget, meaning the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to a former vice-consul who has witnessed many irregularities in the various consulates where he served.

Moreover, Algerians not only pay significantly higher fees for tax stamps than their neighboring countries, but they also pay much more for plane and ferry tickets. A Paris-Algiers flight with Air Algérie costs more than a Paris-New York flight with Air France.

If the Algerian regime is inhumane towards “its” people, why would it be generous with Western exporters?