France Plans to “Punish” Algeria by Targeting Leaders with “Diplomatic Passports”

In an interview on LCI, French Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin announced his intention to end an agreement between France and Algeria that allows members of the Algerian elite to travel to France without a visa.
Since Algeria sent back the Algerian “influencer” who was forcibly expelled by the French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, France has been examining its options for a strong response. Relations between the two countries have been extremely strained since France, the former colonial power, changed its stance on the Moroccan Sahara. Emmanuel Macron aligned himself in late July with Spain and the United States.
On January 12, Gérald Darmanin, the current Minister of Justice and former Minister of the Interior, announced that he planned to end a 2013 agreement that allows holders of Algerian diplomatic passports to enter France without a visa and circulate freely on its territory. Darmanin stated, “There is a 2013 government agreement that allows those with an official or diplomatic Algerian passport, of which there are thousands, to come to France without a visa.”
The Minister added that targeting Algerian leaders in decision-making positions responsible for what he referred to as “humiliation” would be a smarter and more effective approach. “This can be done very quickly,” he said.
The issue arose following the expulsion of the Algerian influencer by France and his subsequent return to Algeria. The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the expulsion as “arbitrary and abusive,” rejecting the French accusations of “escalation” and “humiliation.” The Algerian minister emphasized that Algeria is a sovereign country entitled to express its views. “They are right, we must respect them. But they must also respect us. Algeria must respect France, and France must respect Algeria,” he said. “We are at a critical moment, and this humiliation they want to impose on us is unacceptable.”