logo
Paris Set to Send Expulsion List to Algeria Amid Ongoing Diplomatic Tensions Over Migration

Paris Set to Send Expulsion List to Algeria Amid Ongoing Diplomatic Tensions Over Migration

Morocco World13-03-2025

Rabat – Paris is preparing to send Algerian authorities a list of individuals to be expelled from France, with the hope that Algeria will accept the list and use it as a step towards warming bilateral relations, which have been strained by migration issues.
Three government sources told AFP on Thursday that the list, which includes 'several dozen' names, is expected to be officially sent to Algeria soon. One source said it could happen 'this week,' while another suggested it would be done 'today or tomorrow,' and a third described the move as 'imminent.'
'This is the first list,' Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on RTL radio on Wednesday, noting that it included a few dozen individuals.
The issue of Algeria refusing to accept nationals in an irregular immigration status, including the perpetrator of a deadly attack in Mulhouse, France, on February 22, has deepened tensions, which were already strained following France's recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara in July last year.
The expulsion list currently appears far smaller than what Retailleau initially envisioned, which included several hundred names. However, additional lists may follow.
Retailleau met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday in a 'one-on-one' meeting, according to an official close to the president. 'We make a lot of their differences,' the official said, noting that they were in agreement on the principle of expelling Algerians under a deportation order.
However, President Macron is keen to avoid further escalating tensions with Algeria over migration, fearing a negative impact on other sensitive issues, such as intelligence sharing in the fight against terrorism.
Diplomatic warming is necessary, especially in the context of counterterrorism cooperation in the Sahel region, where both countries are working together to combat jihadism.
France has a vested interest in the stability of Algeria, the largest country in Africa, which is surrounded by neighboring states facing security challenges.
Additionally, France is concerned about the potential return of Algerian or Franco-Algerian jihadists from Syria, a potential threat to national security. French diplomats recently noted that the two countries were in a state of 'near-breakdown' in relations.
In response, President Macron has sought to de-escalate tensions, urging an end to 'talking through the press.' 'It's ridiculous; it never works that way,' he said in late February.
This was in response to comments by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who had criticized the 'toxic atmosphere' between the two countries in an interview with L'Opinion. Tebboune emphasized the need to resume dialogue, but he conditioned this on Macron's willingness to express the desire to do so.
Algerian media welcomed Macron's 'calming words' while lamenting Retailleau's further escalation of the situation.
When asked about a potential direct dialogue between the two presidents, the Élysée did not respond.
This week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot reiterated France's desire to improve relations with Algeria, stating: 'Of course, France aspires to have good relations with Algeria, a neighboring country with which our ties are strong.' However, he added that 'calm cannot be unilaterally decreed.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Africa Takes Maritime Destiny in Hand Under HM the King's Impetus
Africa Takes Maritime Destiny in Hand Under HM the King's Impetus

Maroc

time2 hours ago

  • Maroc

Africa Takes Maritime Destiny in Hand Under HM the King's Impetus

Under the impetus of HM King Mohammed VI, Africa is taking its maritime destiny into its own hands and repositioning itself as a central player around this Atlantic space, French Euro-African relations expert Guillaume Chaban-Delmas said on Tuesday. The statement was delivered in response to the Sovereign's message to participants in the "Africa for the Ocean" Summit, co-chaired on Monday in Nice by HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa, Representative of His Majesty the King, and French President Emmanuel Macron. Behind this strategic review of the Kingdom's maritime role lie the economic, political and legal issues that will determine the continent's future, explained the French expert. Pointing out that international trade by sea is still organized according to a logic inherited from the colonial period, Chaban-Delmas noted that the vision carried by the Kingdom, under the leadership of HM the King, "engages a dynamic of assertion of Africa as a sovereign power around an Atlantic axis carrying a new balance in the structuring of world trade." According to the perspective defined by HM the King, he explained, the Atlantic Ocean is conceived as a space for South-South cooperation. The Dakhla Atlantic port, he continued, is fully in line with this regional dynamic. He concluded that "the Atlantic must be a space for the co-construction of a legal framework that fully affirms the sovereignty of the African continent." MAP: 10 June 2025

New US Report Sheds Light on Polisario's Regional Threats, Growing Support for Morocco
New US Report Sheds Light on Polisario's Regional Threats, Growing Support for Morocco

Morocco World

time5 hours ago

  • Morocco World

New US Report Sheds Light on Polisario's Regional Threats, Growing Support for Morocco

Rabat – Amid a growing support for Morocco's position on Western Sahara, several reports have surfaced to shed light on the dispute, particularly Polisario's links to terrorism, a situation that undermines the whole region and beyond. The National Interest is among the magazines, research publications, and news outlets that tackled the regional instability the Polisario is instigating as it aligns itself with terrorist groups as well as US adversaries, including Iran. Growing momentum for Morocco Recalling the international chorus in support of Morocco's territorial integrity, the National Interest published a comprehensive analysis authored by Ahmed Sahrawi on Monday, stressing that more and more countries are agreeing with the Moroccan security approach to safeguard its southern provinces in Western Sahara and preventing the region from becoming home to a 'jihadist government.' 'The United Kingdom recently recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, joining the United States, France, and Israel,' the same source said. On June 1, the UK joined the international chorus for the first time, announcing Morocco's Autonomy Plan as the most serious and credible political solution to end the dispute over Western Sahara. With this decision, the country has been added to a list of over 113 countries that share the same perspective and that seek an end to the stagnant issue. Kenya and Ghana recently shared a similar stance amid Algeria's maneuvers to challenge Morocco's territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces. Algeria's regime harbors the Polisario Front in a deserted area, where freedom of speech and movement are restricted. About 90,000 Sahrawis have been stranded in the region, with many seeking escape but unable to leave due to restricted movement, turning Tindouf into an open-air prison for many. Algeria is still barring a census for the region, due to the presumed fact, as many Sahrawis suggest, that most of the Tindouf residents are Algerians or from other countries and regions like Tuaregs and nationals of neighboring countries, such as Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and Chad. Former Polisario members, including Mustafa Salma, suggest that as little as 20% of the real Sahrawis were forced to take shelter in the camps. 'The Polisario has, in recent years, aligned itself with some of the most radical actors in the region,' the National Interest wrote, recalling how the region became a breeding ground for 'jihadist recruitment and a nexus for extremist networks operating across the Sahel.' The publication further stressed the well-documented ties between the separatist group and terrorist groups, recalling Adnan Abu al-Walid al-Sahrawi, a former Polisario member who also led the Islamic State in the Greater Sahel before he was killed by French forces in Mali in 2021. The same source also recalled Polisario's breaking of the UN Ceasefire in 2020, when Morocco peacefully intervened to halt Polisario's blockade in Guerguerat near the Mauritanian border, affecting trade relations. The analyst further detailed the multiple threats and attacks the Polisario Front has been carrying out, targeting Moroccan civilians as well as foreign businesses operating in southern provinces since 2021. In May, members of the Polisario Front, including Mustapha Sidi Ali El Bachir, sent their threats to Moroccans, foreign businesses, as well as tourists visiting southern provinces. The Polisario member appeared in a video on May 1, noting that the separatist group is reiterating and confirming that 'in line with Polisario's statement from November 13, 2020, announcing the return to war, any foreign investor or tourist in the Sahara is putting their life at risk.' 'Let the Sahrawi stay away from foreigners and not come telling us they're civilians or innocent. This is not a tourism context, but a wartime context,' he said. Increasing awareness of Polisario's fake activism The National Interest is not the first US-based website to highlight Polisario's threats to the region. In May, The Daily Signal issued a similar comprehensive piece, in which it recalled that high-ranking officials, like Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, have sought to designate the Polisario Front as a terrorist group due to its malicious activities targeting the region's stability. The outlet also criticized the US administration for ignoring Polisario's threats. Notably, the report also mentioned Polisario's armed threats and its unilateral decision to withdraw from the UN-brokered ceasefire in 2020. Like the National interest, the Daily Signal also referenced Iran's support for the Polisario Front through its proxy Hezbollah, which Morocco accused of training and arming the Polisario Front through a collusion with Algeria. 'Polisario's threats rest on a foundation of Algerian sanctuary plus three mutually reinforcing pillars: Iranian military assistance, a growing Russian influence network, and a mature trans-Sahel illicit economy that overlaps with jihadist financing streams,' the Daily Signal wrote. In April, the Washington Post quoted sources who confirmed that Hezbollah trained Polisario to serve and advance its regional interests. 'Over the years, Iran has fostered a wide array of proxy groups to advance its interests,' the report said, quoting a regional official and a third European official who said Iran trained fighters from the 'Algeria-based Polisario Front' that are now detained by Syria's new security forces. In the same month, a report published by the Hudson Institute dismissed Polisario's self-portrayal as a liberation movement, describing the separatist group as a paramilitary organization that functions as 'a destabilizing militia.' Notably, the report, authored by Zineb Riboua, documented how the Polisario's activities 'go far beyond the standard for a terror designation.' Also in the same month, American Enterprise Institute (AEI) scholar Michael Rubin published a piece , urging the UN to cease recognizing the Polisario Front as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, in which he described the group as 'a vestige of the Cold War.' Rubin challenged the international community's stance on Polisario's legitimacy, asserting that 'no one has ever elected them to such a position and no one has given the Sahrawi any say.' Tags: Algeria and the Western SaharaPolisario and Algeria

South African Party Recognizes Morocco's Sovereignty Over Western Sahara
South African Party Recognizes Morocco's Sovereignty Over Western Sahara

Morocco World

time6 hours ago

  • Morocco World

South African Party Recognizes Morocco's Sovereignty Over Western Sahara

Doha – The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party of South Africa, led by former president Jacob Zuma, has decisively rejected the Polisario Front and forcefully endorsed Morocco's Autonomy Plan for the Sahara. This bold stance directly confronts the long-held position of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC), which has stubbornly backed the Algerian-sponsored militant faction. The MK Party, commanding substantial influence as the third-largest political force in South Africa's parliament with 58 seats, released a comprehensive 17-page document titled 'South Africa & Morocco: A Strategic Partnership for African Unity, Economic Emancipation and Territorial Integrity.' Founded in December 2023 by Zuma after his split from the ANC, the party's text obliterates any legitimacy claims by the insurgent movement and firmly establishes Morocco's historical rights. 'Western Sahara was a part of Morocco before Spanish colonization in the late 19th century,' declares the document. 'The Moroccan claim predates colonization and is rooted in tribal allegiance to the Moroccan throne.' The party's position dismantles the secessionist narrative by emphasizing crucial historical context in the territorial dispute. It venerates Morocco's 1975 Green March, when over 350,000 unarmed Moroccans triumphantly reclaimed the Sahara, as 'a peaceful and powerful act of decolonization' and 'a unique, non-violent liberation movement.' Regarding Morocco's autonomy initiative, the MK Party extols it as a 'realistic alternative' that 'allows for significant local governance by the Sahrawi people, while ensuring that Morocco retains its sovereignty over the region' – effectively entombing the Polisario's antiquated and destabilizing breakaway agenda. This development strikes another devastating blow to international support for the Cold War-era proxy group. Recently, Ghana and Kenya decisively withdrew their recognition of the Polisario, joining the overwhelming tide of African countries rightfully backing Morocco's territorial integrity. A break from isolationist policies, a move forward The MK Party's stance exposes the ever-starker isolated position of South Africa's official foreign policy, now glaringly out of step with the continent's shifting alliances and aspirations. While the ANC under President Cyril Ramaphosa doggedly clings to supporting the Algerian-backed insurgents, the MK Party's position signals profound fissures in South African politics regarding the Sahara dispute. Jacob Zuma had previously met with King Mohammed VI during the 2017 African Union-European Union summit in Abidjan, a meeting that triggered backlash from hardliners within the ANC. The MK Party now frames its support for Morocco partly as reciprocation for historical ties, noting that 'Morocco was the first country to land financial and military support to uMkhonto weSizwe in 1962.' The document vigorously advocates for strengthened bilateral relations between South Africa and Morocco across multiple domains, including diplomatic cooperation, economic development, and security coordination. It calls for establishing 'bilateral dialogue frameworks' and supporting 'joint ventures in infrastructure, industry, energy, agriculture, tourism and digital transformation.' South Africa currently grapples with its own dissident movement in the Cape region, exposing the paradoxical nature of its official stance on territorial integrity issues elsewhere on the continent. This mirrors Algeria's double standards, which label the MAK movement as a terrorist threat while considering the Polisario an ally, despite its involvement in armed activities denounced as terrorism by numerous NGOs. Both cases indicate a troubling double standard in how the two countries approach self-determination claims. The ANC government had hastily recognized the self-proclaimed paper entity of 'SADR' in 2004, prompting Morocco to sever diplomatic relations in response. International observers have described international recognition of Rabat's sovereignty over the Sahara as 'irreversible,' highlighting that approximately 120 countries now support Morocco's position globally, leaving the armed faction increasingly ostracized. Meanwhile, the Polisario's contested seat within the African Union is under growing scrutiny. According to diplomatic sources, the question of expelling the front from the continental body is being discussed 'more frequently' with African partners, suggesting the issue will resurface 'tôt ou tard' (sooner or later). The MK Party's document concludes by envisioning the alliance between Pretoria and Rabat as 'a significant chapter in the African renaissance' and 'a model for how African nations can internally build a brighter future — by Africans and for Africans,' leaving no room for divisive paramilitary agendas. Read also: South Africa's Ruling ANC Split Deepens as Members Rally for Morocco Ties Tags: Morocco and South AfricaWestern sahara

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store