Macron Rejects Fixed Visa Quota for Algeria

Paris – 22 July 2026: According to the government, President Emmanuel Macron has made clear that France has not decided on a fixed numerical target for issuing visas to Algerian nationals. In the Council of Ministers, Macron also stressed that the French administration is by no means lax in visa matters. The statement responds to a domestic political controversy triggered by comments made by the French ambassador to Algeria.

In an interview published on 15 July, Stéphane Romatet had spoken of a possible increase in visa issuance. He referred to the level before the latest diplomatic crisis between Paris and Algiers, when France, according to his figures, issued around 250,000 visas per year to Algerian nationals. He said this previous level could probably be reached again. However, he did not explicitly promise a binding commitment.

Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said after the Council of Ministers meeting that Macron had wanted to clarify this presentation. The crucial point was that neither a quota nor a politically defined annual target exists. The assessment of individual applications remains subject to the applicable entry, security and residence rules. The Elysee Palace is thus distinguishing diplomatic signals of possible normalization from a concrete change in visa policy.

Romatet’s remarks drew criticism primarily from the right of the political spectrum. Conservatives and representatives of the Rassemblement National viewed the mention of 250,000 visas as a sign of a unilateral concession to Algiers. At the center of their criticism is the question of whether France should link visa facilitation to stronger Algerian cooperation in taking back its own nationals who are required to leave France.

Relations between France and Algeria have long been shaped by the colonial past, migration issues and recurring consular disputes. The latest serious crisis intensified in 2024 in connection with French support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara. Tensions over security issues, consular cooperation and the treatment of French and Algerian nationals were also added to the mix.

Romatet was recalled from Algiers to Paris for consultations in spring 2025 and resumed his duties at the beginning of May 2026. His return was seen as a cautious step toward restoring direct diplomatic working relations. The visa issue has particular political and practical significance: it concerns family visits, business travel, study stays and cultural contacts between two countries whose societies are closely connected.

Macron’s intervention is therefore likely intended primarily to contain the political fallout. It avoids a public commitment to a high number while not ruling out the possibility of a gradual recovery in consular exchanges. Following this clarification, whether the number of visas actually issued increases will not depend on a public target figure, but on individual applications, administrative capacity and the further development of bilateral relations.