Haro on the agreement between France and Algeria. Jordan Bardella, Édouard Philippe, Éric Ciotti… The right and the extreme right take advantage of the fiasco of the failed expulsion of an Algerian influencer to demand the end of this treaty signed between Paris and Algiers in 1968.
“We have been subjected to the Algerian regime for more than 50 years,” judged RN deputy Jean-Philippe Tanguy this Friday morning on BFMTV, calling for “a very quick end” to this text.
Measures that facilitate the granting of residence permits
This agreement, which came into force six years after the independence of this former French colony, created a single status for Algerian nationals in terms of movement, residence and employment.
It was originally intended to facilitate economic immigration to meet the great need for labor in France at the beginning of the Thirty Glorious Years.
Specifically, it now contains measures that make the arrival and issuance of residence permits more flexible for Algerian nationals. For example, they do not need to apply for a visa for a stay of more than three months, unlike other foreigners, but rather they must apply for a residence certificate, a process that is easier to access.
646,462 residence permits granted in 2023 to Algerian nationals
Family reunification – this system that allows a foreigner in legal status to bring his family (spouse and minor children) – is also possible after 12 months of presence in France, instead of 18 months for foreigners.
These specific provisions are reflected in Home Office figures. According to a report from the general directorate of foreigners in France, in 2022, 646,462 residence permits were granted to Algerian nationals, far ahead of other countries. 603,482 Moroccans received a residence permit in 2022 and 289,942 Tunisians.
This agreement is, however, more restrictive than the general regime for foreigners in certain points. Student visas, for example, are more restricted. As for the provisions linked to expulsions, such as the issuance of OQTF (obligation to leave French territory), they are governed by common law and are the same.
Macron upset by demands to end this agreement
These agreements have already been modified three times, progressively gutted with very symbolic measures. The stated objective: to try to bring the status of Algerians closer to the common law for foreigners.
Can France decide to end these agreements between France and Algeria as RN and the right demand? For the moment, Emmanuel Macron has always closed the door to this hypothesis.
The head of state expressed his anger in November 2023, when Édouard Philippe asked a few weeks before for the end of this agreement. In fact, the former Prime Minister supported a right-wing draft resolution to end this treaty.
“I did not understand that France’s foreign policy was defined in Parliament,” the head of state joked before the Council of Ministers.
The government in favor of renegotiation
Indeed, any questioning of this agreement must necessarily have the approval of the Elysée. Diplomacy is also the “reserved domain” of the head of state in terms of political habits and customs. However, nothing prevents Parliament from trying to pressure Emmanuel Macron to try to change his position.
In December 2023, during the full examination of the immigration bill in the National Assembly, the government stated, through the voice of Élisabeth Borne, that it was open to a renegotiation of the agreement but not to its finalization.
It must be said that his denunciation could have a counterproductive effect, especially from the immigration point of view, as the countries approach each other from 2022, after years of strong tensions.
Strong economic ties between Algeria and France
If the agreement between Paris and Algiers disappears, the Algerian government could be tempted to retaliate. Algeria could, for example, considerably reduce the number of consular passes, this document issued by the country of origin of the person subject to a OQTF (obligation to leave French territory) and without which France cannot expel him.
The measure would harm, at the very least, Bruno Retailleau, who has made this issue his workhorse. If Emmanuel Macron did not hesitate to raise his voice against Algeria last Monday before the ambassadors gathered at the Elysée, in particular in relation to the arrest of the Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, he refrained from mentioning the agreement between Paris and Algiers.
Should we look at economic reasons? Despite strong turbulence between the two countries after a clear warming of relations in recent years, trade between the two countries is going very well.
In 2023, trade between France increased significantly, especially on the oil and gas front. In 2023, Algerian hydrocarbon exports increased by 15% against a backdrop of war in Ukraine and the desire to reduce French dependence on Russian gas. It remains to be seen whether this trade relationship will not be disrupted by recent diplomatic tensions.
Source: BFM TV
