Algeria blocks deportations from France over Western Sahara
Many saw Paris as offering Morocco an olive branch by recognising its claim of sovereignty over the Western Sahara, though in doing so, it may have also burned bridges with Algeria.
Algiers’ disapproval of French President Emmanuel Macron’s actions has led the North African country to send back citizens handed deportation orders by France on August 8th, according to Middle East Eye and agencies.
Le Canard Enchaine reported that relations between France and Algeria have “deteriorated”. The newspaper quoted a senior official as stating that “dozens” of Algerians who were handed deportation orders had to “make simple round trips by plane” between the two countries.
Upon return to French soil, they found themselves free, the paper said.
Macron’s letter to Moroccan King Mohammed VI described the plan for Western Sahara as “the only basis for reaching a just, lasting and negotiated political solution in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.”
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Macron wrote that “the present and future of Western Sahara are part of Moroccan sovereignty” without expressly recognising the territory’s “Moroccanness “, as Rabat desired.
The announcement, seen as a significant shift in French policy, infuriated Algiers, which subsequently announced the “withdrawal with immediate effect” of its ambassador to France.
Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf reacted to Macron’s letter by stating that “the French decision will not change anything” regarding Western Sahara’s status as “a non-self-governing territory, according to the UN”. Attaf threatened Paris with sanctions, warning that he was “drawing the necessary conclusion regarding the French approach”.
Some observers believe that aggressive economic options are not on the table for Algeria, which may not want French firms, especially those belonging to the oil giant TotalEnergies, to leave the country.
This is not the first time that Algeria has retaliated against France by blocking the deportation of Algerians.
Deportation measures under the so-called “Besson” law of 2011 has allowed for the obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) order to be used extensively.
The obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) order has been one of the most of the most widely used procedures for expelling illegal migrants.
If a French national is being repatriated without a valid identity document, authorities must obtain a consular pass from the country of origin to carry out the return.
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In 2021, the French interior ministry had only been able to expel 0.3% of Algerians handed OQTFs, blaming Algiers for the refusal to grant consular passes.
The French government reacted by drastically reducing the number of visas granted to Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, implying that they also refused to grant consular passes.
The European nation’s grip on Françafrique has been weakening, especially in the Sahel, where the French army has been forced to leave Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, in turn leaving a vacuum for other nations such as Russia, China and Turkey to gain more influence.
Le Canard Enchaine commented on Macron’s latest move, stating, “in distress in the sub-Saharan region, particularly in the Sahel, France is counting on the Moroccan ally, whose continental activism is obvious, to save some positions in Africa,”
Middle East Eye and agencies
