French politicians call for ‘zero visa’ policy in reaction to Algiers escalation

French politicians and members of parliament have urged their government to stop offering visas to Algerian nationals until Algeria takes its unwanted nationals in France.

Mathieu Lefèvre, deputy president of Macron’s political party in parliament EPR, told Sud Radio that the option should be put on the table to pressure Algeria to take its nationals declared unwanted in France.

“We must restrict the number of visas granted to Algerians coming to France. It could even be a zero-visa policy until they take back dangerous illegal immigrants. We cannot continue to let ourselves be walked over!” he said.

Algeria has angered the French political class after they arrested dual-national writer Boualem Sansal for his views, while rejecting to take their nationals living illegally in France.

“If Algeria does not respect France. We will stop giving them visas,” Jordan Bardella, head of France’s RN party told Europe 1.

Relations worsened between Paris and Algiers after the latter took stands in protest over France’s sovereign decision in support of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara.

The unfolding tensions led many French politicians to call on their government to end visa-free entry for Algerian diplomats and scrap the 1968 deals that gave Algerians preferential treatment to settle in France.