France expels Algerian diplomats amid kidnap case, tensions rise
3 Min Read
The move follows Algeria's decision to eject 12 French officials earlier this week, intensifying a diplomatic standoff sparked by the arrest of an Algerian consular employee in France.
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The Elysee Palace is lit in blue to mark World Autism Awareness Day in Paris, Wednesday, April 2, 2025 (Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool via AP)
The Élysée Palace announced on Tuesday that France is expelling 12 Algerian officials from Algeria's consular and diplomatic missions and is recalling its ambassador to Algiers for consultations. The move follows Algeria's decision to eject 12 French officials earlier this week, intensifying a diplomatic standoff sparked by the arrest of an Algerian consular employee in France.
The detained official was among three Algerian nationals indicted by French prosecutors for alleged involvement in the April 2024 abduction of Algerian dissident and influencer Amir Boukhors—widely known as "Amir DZ"—in a Paris suburb.
Boukhors, a prominent critic of the Algerian government with over a million followers on social media, was granted asylum in France in 2023. He was reportedly kidnapped and released within a day. Algeria has since demanded his extradition, citing nine international arrest warrants on charges of fraud and terrorism.
Reacting to the French expulsions, Algerian authorities accused Paris of undermining bilateral relations and retaliated by expelling 12 French officials, some of whom are affiliated with the French Interior Ministry.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot responded to Algeria's move on Monday, urging the Algerian government to reverse its decision. "I am asking Algerian authorities to abandon these expulsion measures... if the decision to send back our officials is maintained, we will have no other choice but to respond immediately," he said.
Read more: Algeria expels 12 French officials amid influencer kidnap row
This comes after a separate incident in March involving Algerian influencer Boualem Naman, known as "Doualemn," who was detained in Montpellier and ordered to be deported to Algeria following a controversial TikTok video. Although France had previously attempted to deport him in January, Algeria refused to accept him, and the same happened again in March when he was briefly returned before being sent back to France the same evening. The Hérault Deportation Commission had approved his removal on March 12, and according to his lawyer, he was arrested at dawn at his daughter’s home by around twenty police officers, reportedly in front of his grandchildren.
Another incident in 2024 added to the growing tension between France and Algeria, this time over the disputed region of Western Sahara.
France sparked backlash when President Emmanuel Macron declared that Morocco’s proposal to grant autonomy to Western Sahara was the only solution to the long-running conflict. He made the statement in a letter to King Mohammed VI, congratulating him on 25 years of reign.
Algeria, which supports the pro-independence Polisario Front, reacted strongly by recalling its ambassador from Paris. The Algerian Foreign Ministry criticized Macron’s stance as an unprecedented move by the French government.
