Tebboune denies rumours of Moroccan deportations

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has reacted to rumours that his administration is deporting Moroccans from his country, following recent moves to impose formal visa requirements on them, before entering Algeria, reports Middle East Monitor and agencies.
The new visa requirements, which were announced almost immediately after 4 Moroccans were arrested on spying charges in the city of Tlemcen, are part of a crackdown after Algiers believes that Israel is using Moroccans as spies inside Algeria.
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He said the rumours of deportations are “nonsense” in an interview with Algerian television channel TV1. “Moroccans are welcome, and they live among the people and work in the Algerian market. We would not expel any Moroccan from Algeria. We are imposing visas purely for security reasons.”
“The Moroccans who were arrested as part of security investigations that led us to impose the visa will be tried publicly,” he added.
Tebboune wishes to play down the visa stunt as relations between Algeria and Morocco are at an all time low, despite Rabat recently signaling that it wanted better relations with Moscow which would lower the heat between these two north African countries who find themselves on either side of a cold war divide even today.
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While it is true that Tebboune wants to tighten up security, western news agencies familiar with Algeria say that the visa measures are also to do with smuggling between Algeria and Morocco, hinted in the interview.
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Tebboune said smuggling should stop because Algeria is in the process of establishing free trade zones with neighbouring countries. He underlined that Algiers is not thinking of joining the BRICS organisation, although is interested in joining the BRICS bank.
Middle East Monitor/agencies/Maghrebi