France Calls to Cancel 1968 Migration Agreement, 'It Gives Preferential Treatment for Algerians'

The political scene in France is witnessing an unprecedented movement with an increasing number of demands to amend the migration agreement signed with Algeria on December 27, 1968.

The call for reviewing the agreement is justified on the grounds that it “undermines efforts to curb immigration” due to the facilitations it includes, granting preferential treatment to Algerians in terms of residency, employment, and education.

The 1968 Agreement regulates the entry, residency, and employment of Algerians in France, where Algerians, in certain aspects, receive preferential treatment compared to other foreigners.

They also enjoy the freedom to establish companies or practice independent professions.

Former French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, during the first term of current President Emmanuel Macron, emphasized the need to reconsider the “migration agreement” with Algeria, which is 55 years old, in an interview with the French weekly magazine L’Express.

On June 5, 2023, Philippe stated that this agreement fully defines the law applied to the entry and residency of Algerian citizens under much better conditions than the prevailing system, which is a significant advantage not enjoyed by citizens of any other country.

He stressed that there are undoubtedly strong historical ties between France and Algeria, adding that maintaining such a system today with a country that Paris has complex relations with is no longer justified.

He expressed strong support for the proposals put forward by the current Minister of Interior, Gerard Darmanin, and the Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt, in a draft law on migration, believing that it is “necessary, although insufficient.”

Philippe voiced his endorsement for the principle proposed by the French Minister of Labor, which allows individuals to engage in professional activities in sectors where national interest requires the ability to continue doing so.

On November 2, 2022, the Ministers of Interior and Labor revealed the broad outlines of the draft law on migration in an interview with Le Monde.

The new draft includes a provision that allows granting a special residence permit for “in-demand professions” to regularize the status of undocumented immigrants working in sectors experiencing a labor shortage on French soil.

 

Diplomatic Crisis

In addition to the former Prime Minister’s stance on the need to review the 1968 migration agreement signed with Algeria, the former French ambassador to Algeria, Xavier Driencourt, had previously criticized this agreement.

On May 24, 2023, Driencourt, in an interview with Le Point, expressed that the agreement fails to meet France’s needs, advocating for its amendment, regardless of the potential “diplomatic crisis” it may cause.

He pointed out that the provisions of the agreement impose a “heavy” cost on France, adding that it places Algerian immigrants in a privileged category compared to their counterparts from other nationalities, as if immigration laws do not apply to them.

The leader of the right-wing Republican Party, Eric Ciotti, called for a review of the agreement, justifying it by the Algerian consulates’ refusal to issue travel permits to its citizens who are rejected on French soil.

On May 27, 2023, during a television program on the French TV channel C8, Ciotti expressed his astonishment at granting privileges to Algerians who insult them every day.

With repeated attempts to steer public opinion towards the demand to amend the 1968 agreement, this issue quickly became a matter of public discourse as parliamentarians and right-wing parties joined the discussion.

Gerard Larcher, President of the French Senate (the second chamber of parliament), affirmed in an interview with France Inter radio the need to amend this agreement, which regulates the entry, residency, and employment of Algerians in France.

On June 7, 2023, Larcher stated that “circumstances have changed” after 55 years since the signing of this agreement, which governs the entry, residency, and employment of Algerians in France, and that it is time to reconsider it.

Commenting on former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe’s call to amend this agreement, Larcher expressed regret that it was not implemented when he was Prime Minister.

According to media reports, the parliamentary group of the Republican Party (center-right) is preparing to propose a law to cancel the 1968 agreement, considering that the benefits of the agreement have become “exploitative” despite changes in economic, social, and political circumstances.

 

Electoral Content

As for the demands and calls from France to amend or cancel the migration agreement between Algeria and France in 1968, Algerian experts and journalists see this uproar as “electoral maneuvering” to attract French voters.

Hassan Kacimi, former director of immigration at the Algerian Ministry of Interior and an expert in migration affairs, believes that the underlying motives behind the French campaign against the 1968 migration agreement between the two countries have a “purely electoral content.”

On June 16, 2023, Kacimi clarified in a statement to the Turkish Anadolu Agency that France is facing a severe economic and political crisis, emphasizing that the current governing state in the European country is weak and unable to control the situation.

He explained that the 1968 agreement emerged from the Evian Accords (negotiations that led to Algeria’s independence from France in 1962) and is a ratified treaty by the French parliament that is not subject to amendment.

Kacimi concluded that these developments clearly indicate that the relationship between the two countries remains in a complex stage, characterized by a tense atmosphere and campaigns against Algeria, which may be the main reasons preventing the President of Algeria from visiting Paris.

The visit of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to Paris, which was scheduled for May 2023, was postponed to the second half of June 2023. However, it seems that there are silent crises between the two countries that will further delay this visit until after the summer.

Journalist and Algerian opposition figure Walid Kabir affirmed that the raising of the issue of reviewing or canceling the 1968 agreement comes in the context of an emerging crisis between Algeria and France, especially since Tebboune did not visit Paris as planned in June 2023.

Kabir added, in an interview with Al-Estiklal, that the demands for reviewing or canceling the agreement are an attempt by some politicians, especially from the French right wing, to use it as a card to attract voters.

He pointed out that the migration agreement between Algeria and France was signed six years after the Evian Accords to fill a legal vacuum, since France considered Algeria as an administrative attachment and not a colonized country.

 

‘Summer Cloud’

The agreement of December 27, 1968, is a continuation of the Evian Accords that ended with Algeria’s independence in 1962. It concerns Algerian workers in France, who were heavily recruited after World War II (1939–1945) to compensate for the labor shortage.

Kabir pointed out that the ruling regime in Algeria refuses to review or cancel this agreement because it compensates for the tragedies experienced by Algerians during the colonial period.

He noted that the 1968 agreement is an international treaty, meaning it holds a higher status than French national legislation.

He explained that amending it requires negotiations between Algeria and France.

After acknowledging the right of the French to demand a review of the agreement, Kabir warned that it may cause disruptions in France.

He emphasized that the Algerian community in France consists of millions of people, and any interference with this agreement may deepen the rift between the two countries and lead to internal disturbances.

Kabir holds the belief that both the 1968 and Evian agreements shape the relationship between Algeria and France, and any alteration to them could result in significant transformations.

In the face of demands to amend or cancel the agreement, questions arise about the extent to which these demands will impact the sensitive relations between Paris and Algeria, especially considering the postponement of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s visit to the Elysee Palace, which was scheduled for June 2023.

Migration researcher Rachid el-Madani believes that Algerian–French relations are “solid” and cannot be affected by certain estimations, calls, or the stirring up of “dust” by the French right-wing or other political factions.

El-Madani, in an interview with Al-Estiklal, added that what brings Algeria and France together is stronger than that, and it includes principles that underpin the relationship between the two countries.

He affirmed that the discussion about the 1968 Agreement is driven by pressure or for the sake of specific political gains, which may come from either the government majority or the opposition, and it is a passing summer cloud.

El-Madani further explained that Algerian–French relations are historical, considering that Algeria was called a “second France” due to the long period of colonization.

He emphasized that it is impossible to discuss foreign policy without considering the historical ties that have been woven over a long period of time.

El-Madani also mentioned that the Algerian community in France constitutes a significant force in the electoral arena, and there are political and social factors that necessitate a certain level of relations and cooperation, as well as the need to overcome the repercussions of stirring up certain contentious issues between the two countries.

He pointed out that the social situation in France does not allow for the stirring up of new issues that may further complicate the highly sensitive political and economic landscape.