Doha – In a combative response that further strains diplomatic relations, Algeria rejected French accusations of “escalation” and “humiliation” on Saturday, January 11, after refusing to accept a deported Algerian social media influencer.
The latest diplomatic row erupted when Algerian authorities refused entry to “Doualemn,” a 59-year-old TikTok influencer who had been expelled from France.
The influencer, who was arrested in Montpellier for posting a video containing calls for violence, was sent back to France the same evening after Algeria declared him “forbidden from territory.”
In a defensive statement, the Algerian Foreign Ministry claimed, “Algeria is not, in any way, engaged in a logic of escalation, outbidding, or humiliation.”
Adding fuel to the diplomatic fire, the ministry attacked the French government, accusing “vengeful and hateful far-right figures and their licensed heralds within the French government” of conducting “a disinformation campaign, or even mystification, against Algeria.”
The incident prompted strong reactions from French officials. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau asserted that “Algeria seeks to humiliate France” and emphasized that France “cannot tolerate this situation.”
Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot warned that if “Algerians continue this posture of escalation,” France would have “no choice but to retaliate.”
Attempting to justify its refusal to accept the deportee, Algeria claimed the decision was motivated by concern for allowing the individual to “respond to accusations against him” and “defend himself in a fair and equitable judicial process on French territory.”
Read also: Deported Algerians Become Pawns in Algeria’s Fury at France’s Western Sahara Position
The ministry noted that the influencer has lived in France for 36 years, held a residence permit for 15 years, and has two children with a French citizen.
This diplomatic crisis follows months of deteriorating relations between Paris and Algiers, triggered by France’s shift in position on Western Sahara in July 2024.
The situation worsened with Algeria’s detention of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, 75, since mid-November on charges of undermining state security, despite his illness.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently criticized Algeria’s treatment of Sansal, stating that “Algeria, which we love so much… is entering a history that dishonors it by preventing a seriously ill man from receiving treatment.”
Facing Algeria’s defiant stance, French officials are preparing a series of punitive measures to assert their authority. Foreign Minister Barrot outlined potentially crippling actions against Algerian interests, including severe restrictions on visas and a potential freeze of development aid.
During a visit to Nantes, Interior Minister Retailleau specifically called for sharply reducing visa issuance to Algerian nationals, signaling France’s readiness to take concrete action against Algerian provocations.
Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal called for denouncing the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement, criticizing it as “a full-fledged immigration channel” that makes it “practically impossible to withdraw residence permits from Algerian nationals, even for public order reasons.”
The crisis deepened further with the simultaneous arrest of Franco-Algerian influencer Sofia Benlemmane on January 9, who faces charges related to hate speech videos. She is scheduled to appear in court on March 18.
