In the midst of ongoing tensions between Paris and Algiers, the issue of deporting Algerian nationals subject to Obligation de Quitter le Territoire Français (OQTF) – orders to leave French territory – remains a contentious subject, fueling diplomatic frictions between the two countries. While official figures confirm that deportations to Algeria have not been completely halted — with 2,500 Algerian nationals expelled in 2024 according to the French government — the core of the dispute lies in Algeria’s categorical refusal to receive certain profiles among its citizens. These are predominantly individuals with heavy criminal records, those suffering from psychiatric disorders, or those linked to terrorism.
Far from being an arbitrary stance, this refusal is deeply rooted in a sovereign principle: Algeria is neither obligated nor destined to serve as a dumping ground for individuals radicalized or criminalized on French soil. This position represents a legitimate and responsible choice aimed at safeguarding Algeria’s national security and preserving its hard-won sovereignty.
Sovereignty in the Face of Unrealistic Expectations
Under the mounting pressure of rising security rhetoric and political debates surrounding immigration, France appears increasingly eager to shift the burden of its own internal failures onto Algeria. Unable to manage the consequences of its own failed immigration policies and the rise of radicalization on its territory, Paris is resorting to coercive diplomacy, pressuring Algeria to absorb individuals whose dangerous trajectories were largely shaped by the social, political, and economic environment of France itself.
The recent Mulhouse attack, perpetrated by an Algerian national under OQTF — whom Algeria reportedly refused to take back ten times according to French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau — has reignited tensions between the two countries. However, this incident raises a fundamental question:
Why should Algeria bear responsibility for individuals whose criminal or radicalized paths were forged in France?
Algeria’s refusal to welcome back hardened criminals, extremists, or dual nationals stripped of their French citizenship is not only understandable — it is entirely legitimate. The majority of these individuals were born, raised, and radicalized in France. As Frédéric Lauze, Secretary General of the French Police Commissioners Union, candidly admitted on RMC radio:
"Algeria does not want to recover individuals with heavy criminal records, psychiatric issues, or those known for acts of terrorism."
No nation can be expected to accept individuals who pose a direct threat to its security, especially when these individuals have no meaningful connection to their supposed country of origin.
The Double Standards of Dual Citizenship
One of the most problematic aspects of this crisis is France's increasingly frequent use of citizenship revocation as a tool to rid itself of unwanted individuals. This legal loophole disproportionately affects dual nationals of Algerian descent, turning Algeria into a forced destination for people who, in many cases, have never set foot on Algerian soil.
Most of these dual nationals were born, educated, and radicalized in France. They speak neither Arabic nor Amazigh, have no family ties in Algeria, and have no social integration prospects in the country. Forcing Algeria to accept these individuals is not only an act of political cynicism but a blatant denial of reality.
How can Algeria be expected to integrate individuals who are culturally and socially foreign to its society, especially when they pose a significant security risk? The French government’s insistence on this practice is nothing less than a legalized form of injustice, turning Algeria into an exile zone for France’s failures.
Algeria: A Responsible State, Not a Dumping Ground
The narrative suggesting that Algeria systematically obstructs deportations by refusing to issue laissez-passer consular documents is both misleading and exaggerated. The numbers speak for themselves:
- In 2023, Algeria accepted 2,562 repatriations.
- In 2024, the figure stood at 2,500 deportations — a clear sign that Algeria cooperates within the limits of its national interests.
However, cooperation does not equate to blind submission. Algeria’s rejection of certain deportations is driven by legitimate security concerns. Accepting hardened criminals or radicalized individuals is not simply an administrative gesture — it is a direct threat to the country’s internal stability at a time when Algeria is already grappling with its own economic and social challenges.
France's Convenient Amnesia
Paris conveniently forgets that many of the radicalized individuals it seeks to expel were shaped by decades of systemic social exclusion, discrimination, and failures in integration policies in France itself. These individuals were not radicalized in the mountains of Algeria but in the banlieues of Paris, Marseille, and Lyon — under the watch of the French state.
Why, then, should Algeria inherit the consequences of a social crisis over which it had no influence whatsoever?
A Matter of Principle and Dignity
At the heart of this dispute lies more than a mere administrative disagreement — it is a question of national dignity. Algeria, a nation that fought one of the most brutal wars of independence in modern history, cannot allow itself to be reduced to a mere dumping ground for France’s unwanted burdens.
The threat by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to revoke the 1968 migration agreements between the two countries is a desperate attempt to impose political pressure without addressing the root causes of the issue. These agreements, born out of a historical context of cooperation, were never meant to transform Algeria into France’s trash bin across the Mediterranean.
A Responsible Stance, Not Stubbornness
Algeria’s refusal to accept dangerous individuals is not an act of obstinacy but a reflection of its responsibility as a sovereign state. Every nation has the right to filter who enters its borders — especially when dealing with individuals who pose a potential threat to public safety.
If France has failed to contain the radicalization of its own citizens, it cannot expect Algeria to serve as a scapegoat for its own shortcomings.
Conclusion: Algeria Will Never Be France’s Trash Bin
The current standoff between Paris and Algiers is not merely a legal or administrative dispute — it is a battle over sovereignty, security, and dignity. Algeria’s position is not only legitimate but necessary in the face of attempts to offload the consequences of France’s domestic failures onto another nation.
Algeria is not a trash bin — and it never will be.
Rather than exporting its problems across the Mediterranean, France must look inward and take full responsibility for the social and political environment that gave rise to these individuals.
The burden of failure belongs to those who created it — not to those who refuse to inherit it.
Comments
Post a Comment