Algeria Orders Immediate Expulsion of French Diplomats Over Protocol Breaches
Algeria Demands Return of 15 French Embassy Staff for Violating Diplomatic Norms Amid Escalating Tensions with Paris.
Watan-In a fresh escalation signaling a new chapter in tensions between the two countries, Algerian authorities have ordered the immediate expulsion of all French embassy staff who were appointed under procedures deemed to violate standard diplomatic protocol.
According to Algeria’s official news agency (APS), citing informed sources, France’s chargé d’affaires in Algiers was summoned on Saturday, May 11, 2025, to the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The summons, the source said, was prompted by repeated and serious violations by the French side, specifically the blatant disregard for standard procedures concerning the appointment of staff to France’s diplomatic and consular missions in Algeria.
Algeria Uncovers Unauthorized French Diplomatic Appointments and Passport Irregularities
In recent weeks, according to APS, Algerian intelligence services detected the appointment of no fewer than 15 French personnel assigned to perform diplomatic or consular duties on Algerian soil—without fulfilling the required protocol steps, such as prior official notification or formal accreditation requests, as stipulated by diplomatic norms and international agreements.
The violations reportedly extended further. According to APS, these individuals—who previously held mission-specific passports—were issued diplomatic passports instead, facilitating their entry into Algeria. The list also included two French Interior Ministry officials meant to replace personnel recently declared persona non grata by Algerian authorities. This was first revealed by journalist and presidential adviser Faïçal Metaoui on Algeria International TV.
