Summary:

On 15 April 2025, France expelled 12 Algerian officials and recalled its ambassador from Algiers following Algeria’s expulsion of 12 employees of the French embassy in Algiers a day earlier.

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The exchange of diplomatic blows marks another escalation in tensions between the two countries which have been elevated in recent months.   

Algeria’s decision to expel French diplomats followed France’s detention and prosecution of an employee from the Algerian consulate, who was allegedly linked to the 2024 abduction of an influencer on French soil. Algeria indicated that the case against the consulate employee was “unacceptable.”  

On the same day as France’s counter-expulsion, the Algerian Economic Renewal Council (CREA) announced that it will suspend all official travel to France, citing what it described as French interference in a major economic investment. CREA accused France of pressuring a maritime logistics company to withdraw from a strategic infrastructure project in Algeria, characterizing it as political and economic coercion.  

Outlook: 

While both governments have occasionally pledged to reset ties, recent events suggest relations are continuing to deteriorate. The reciprocal expulsion of diplomats marks a serious diplomatic rupture, one that could further strain bilateral cooperation in key areas such as trade, security, migration and regional diplomacy. 

France’s closer alignment with Morocco, reflected in its recent support for Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and the expansion of visa services to Morocco’s southern provinces, could further deepen diplomatic tensions between Algeria and France, making the chances of rebuilding trust and finding common ground lower in the near-term. 

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