Algeria retaliates, bars French diplomats from port, airport access
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Algeria revokes French embassy access privileges at ports and airports, citing diplomatic pouch restrictions and violations of international agreements.
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The sign of the Algerian embassy is displayed at the entrance of the building in Paris, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Algeria has retaliated to recent measures by France by revoking special access privileges for French embassy staff at Algerian ports and airports. The move, announced Saturday, follows what Algiers described as continued violations of international agreements related to diplomatic pouches.
Algeria's Foreign Ministry said the decision was a direct response to restrictions imposed by France on the delivery and retrieval of diplomatic pouches at Paris airports, calling it a breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The ministry noted that these restrictions extended beyond its embassy in Paris to consulates throughout France, despite French assurances of a review. In retaliation,
Algeria withdrew access privileges for French diplomatic personnel at its air and sea ports.
Background of the diplomatic crisis
The current crisis follows a series of tensions, beginning France's endorsement of Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara, after which Algeria recalled its ambassador from Paris in July 2024. Between July 14 and 24, 2025,
The catalyst for this standoff was a decision by French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to bar Algerian embassy staff from accessing secure airport zones in Paris used for handling diplomatic pouches. Algeria denounced the action as a serious obstruction to its diplomatic operations, accusing French authorities of violating basic diplomatic norms and failing to communicate the decision through proper channels.
Algerian officials view Retailleau as a key instigator of the ongoing crisis. They accuse him of exploiting tensions with Algeria to boost his standing with the French public. Since taking office, Retailleau has overseen several controversial policies targeting Algerians, including the deportation of undocumented individuals and the imposition of visa requirements on diplomatic passport holders, actions Algeria argues violate existing bilateral agreements.
Retailleau's confrontational stance has fueled speculation that he is positioning himself for a potential presidential run in 2027, raising further concerns about the future of Franco-Algerian relations.
