French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has criticized the 'arm-wrestling' approach with Algeria following the adoption of a National Rally resolution denouncing the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement. He stresses the need to restore dialogue with Algiers for security and migration cooperation. This stance comes as bilateral relations hit a low point.
On Saturday, November 1, 2025, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez expressed regret over the National Assembly's adoption on Thursday of a National Rally (RN) resolution aiming to 'denounce' the Franco-Algerian convention of December 27, 1968. In an interview with Le Parisien, he stated: 'Those who make the French believe that arm-wrestling and the brutal method are the only solution, the only way out, are wrong. It doesn't work, in any field.' He added that he regretted 'the conditions in which this vote took place,' noting that 'the channel is completely cut off today with Algiers.'
Since joining the government, Nuñez has advocated for dialogue with Algeria, crucial for security cooperation, particularly in the anti-jihadist fight in the Sahel. The freeze in relations has led to a total halt in migration cooperation: 'Algeria no longer accepts its irregular nationals since last spring.' In 2025, only 500 forced removals to Algeria occurred by the end of October, compared to 1,400 the previous year over the same period. This has overloaded administrative detention centers, where '40% of places are occupied by Algerian nationals.'
The recent departure of Bruno Retailleau, Nuñez's predecessor and a hardliner against Algiers, had allowed behind-the-scenes discussions to begin. However, the resolution's adoption has derailed these efforts. Signed six years after the Algerian War, the 1968 agreement establishes a favorable immigration regime for Algerians: no specific visa for stays over three months in France, and faster access to ten-year residence permits, including for family reunification. Its denunciation, long demanded by the right and far right, remains symbolic and non-binding legally.