Algeria halts consular travel pass for its nationals expelled by France

After recalling its ambassador to France last month, the Algerian government is now refusing to deliver temporary consular passes for the repatriation of its nationals expelled from French territory.

The move comes in retaliation for the intervention of French consular services in Tunis, preventing the extradition of French-Algerian journalist Amira Bouraoui.

After her arrest on February 3 for illegally entering Tunisia, the political activist appeared before a magistrate who released her pending trial but her entourage expressed fears that Tunisia was considering deporting her to neighboring Algeria.

Thanks to her dual French-Algerian nationality, she was authorized to leave for France after she spent a few hours at the French embassy in Tunis. She narrowly escaped extradition to Algiers.

The Algerian authorities, irked by the French intervention, recalled their ambassador to Paris and stopped issuing consular passes for Algerian nationals expelled by France.

According to diplomatic sources, the crisis between France and Algeria has reached its peak.