Algeria deports 34 Moroccan nationals

Algeria deported 34 Moroccans on June 15th, according to Observ’Algerie. This is the 8th operation of this nature since the start of 2026. All people were young men finding themselves on the Algerian territory with no legal status, with a majority of them having finished prison sentences in Algerian detention centres in the last few months. 

The return of these 34 Moroccans takes place in a context of high diplomatic tensions between Algeria and Morocco. The border between the two countries has been closed since 1994 due to political disputes, primarily around the Western Sahara conflict. Algeria advocates for a legal referendum in Western Sahara, while Morocco claims legitimacy over the territory. 

Moroccan and Algerian diplomatic relations have gone downhill since, particularly due to the hosting of the Polisario Front in Tindouf, Algeria, only a few kilometres from the border with Western Sahara. Morocco and some Western states, such as the US, consider the Polisario Front to be a terrorist organisation. 

The 34 men crossed the border through the Colonel Lofti-Zouj Bghal border crossing, used only for these types of operations. 

The deported men usually come from cities like Oujda, Taouate, Taza or Fes and come to Algeria in the hope of better work opportunities, or to reach further destinations. Most of them got arrested for illegally entering the country or living there without legal status. 

These issues are sensitive, even if cooperation between the two governments is decent concerning deportations and repatriation. Families were relieved to see their loved ones return, while the operation went safely with no particular issue. 

As Morocco has intensified its crackdown on irregular migrants, the result of growing pressure from the EU and Spain, increasing numbers of migrants have entered Algeria to attempt the journey to Spain or Italy from the Algerian coastline. An enormous increase in the number of migrants seeking to reach Europe has been noticed particulalry with small boats leaving for the Balearic Islands, numbers increasing by 24,5% in 2025, compared to 2024.

Observ’Algerie, Reuters, Maghrebi.org