Amid a diplomatic crisis between France and Algeria, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on BFMTV new measures to restrict the movement and entry of certain Algerian officials into France. He stated that he was «ready to take further action» if the situation does not improve. These sanctions are a response to Algiers' refusal to accept several nationals expelled from France, including the assailant in the Mulhouse attack, as well as the imprisonment of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal. «These are reversible measures that will be lifted as soon as cooperation resumes», Barrot explained, while expressing his willingness to visit Algeria to seek a resolution. While Barrot advocates a measured approach—contrasting with the more assertive stance of his Interior Ministry colleague, Bruno Retailleau—this crisis unfolds against the backdrop of already strained Franco-Algerian relations. It also follows another significant move by Paris on a sensitive issue: the official recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, a decision that provoked strong reactions from Algiers.
