Algeria clapped back at France on Wednesday amid a deepening row between the two countries, accusing Paris of following “orders from the far right” by clamping down on visas granted to Algerians, reports Politico.
“This dynamic, which has drawn in … members of the French government, could have immeasurable consequences for all aspects of Algerian-French relations,” the Algerian Foreign Affairs Ministry wrote in a statement.
Relations between France and Algeria, a former French colony, have become increasingly strained in recent months with the two sides at odds over a regional sovereignty dispute in North Africa and the status of numerous Algerian influencers accused of attempting to incite violence in France.
But the latest flash point concerns immigration and visa restrictions, and it comes amid the backdrop of a deadly knife attack on Saturday allegedly perpetrated by a 37-year-old Algerian citizen who had a “schizophrenic profile”.