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France warned Algeria on Monday that its refusal to accept the return of Algerian nationals deported from France is “unacceptable” and threatened retaliatory measures, including visa restrictions.
The announcement follows a deadly jihadist attack in eastern France carried out by an Algerian national whom Algeria had repeatedly declined to take back, reports AFP.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou said the attack, which took place Saturday in the city of Mulhouse and left one person dead and five others injured, was committed by an undocumented Algerian migrant wielding a knife. Bayrou noted that France had requested Algeria to repatriate the individual on ten occasions, but each request was denied.
“He was presented to Algerian authorities ten times so that his home country could approve his return, but each of those ten times, the answer was no,” Bayrou said. “This is unacceptable.”
Tensions between France and Algeria have been rising in recent weeks, and the Mulhouse attack has further strained relations between the two countries.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said the attacker, who was arrested at the scene, had a criminal record that included weapons offenses and Islamist extremism. The 37-year-old Algerian suspect had entered France illegally in 2014 and had recently served a prison sentence for glorifying terrorism.
Retailleau emphasized that it was time for decisive action. “The Algerian government and authorities must now understand France’s determination,” he said.
A ministerial council on migration control is scheduled to convene on Wednesday. Though the meeting was planned before the Mulhouse attack, the Algerian issue is now expected to dominate discussions.
French government spokesperson Sophie Prima stated that Paris is considering measures against Algeria, including visa restrictions.
“We are not obliged to issue large numbers of visas,” Prima told RTL radio. She added that France may also “target a specific number of key individuals in French-Algerian relations and stop granting them visas.”
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