President Emmanuel Macron moved swiftly on 22 July to shut down a budding political storm over France’s visa policy towards Algeria. Addressing ministers, the president said France had set “no numerical target and is showing no laxity” in the number of Schengen visas issued to Algerian nationals, correcting remarks made a week earlier by France’s ambassador in Algiers, Stéphane Romatet, who floated the figure of 250,000 visas per year. The ambassador’s estimate drew fierce criticism from opposition parties that accused the government of relaxing controls at a time when irregular Channel crossings are again making headlines. Algeria’s press, meanwhile, seized on the comments as a sign of thawing relations after Paris halved visa issuance in 2022 amid a diplomatic row over migrant returns. Macron’s clarification restores France’s official line: visa decisions remain case-by-case, based on security vetting and applicants’ ties to France. No country—including Algeria—enjoys quotas, the Élysée insists. Interior-ministry sources say the rejection rate for Algerian short-stay visas has hovered above 40 % since 2025, well above the global average. For French multinationals and Algerian firms engaged in cross-border projects, the episode highlights the importance of managing public messaging around mobility. Although day-to-day processing at TLScontact centres was unaffected, several companies report that Algerian clients have already postponed July business trips, fearing a policy shift. Immigration advisers now expect a temporary spike in demand for long-stay professional visas as travellers look for more predictable options. Long term, the incident underlines the political sensitivity of North-African mobility flows in French domestic debate. Companies relocating staff between the two countries should prepare for periodic turbulence—whether or not official policy actually changes.
Source: AFP via Boursorama
