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Amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Paris and Algiers, Algeria has expelled 12 French security personnel working on sensitive files at the French embassy. But who are they?

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Although the decision did not result from any legal breach or direct hostile act, its political and security implications raise many questions, especially in the context of the growing diplomatic standoff between the two countries over migration issues.

French political analyst Antoine Basquet, a Maghreb affairs specialist, said that this move might be Algeria’s response to what it perceives as “excessive French interference in sovereign matters.”

He added: “Algeria wants to signal that security cooperation should not be used as a political pressure tool… At the same time, this decision may complicate coordination in critical areas such as counterterrorism and migration, which require mutual trust and direct communication channels.”

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Specialized Security Agents

According to the French newspaper Le Figaro, those expelled were not ordinary diplomats, but security agents affiliated with France’s Ministry of the Interior.

The Algerian decision targeted police officers and gendarmes who were working at the French embassy in Algiers on missions involving counterterrorism, dismantling organized crime networks, and monitoring irregular migration.

Details and Roles

According to French media sources, only two of those expelled belonged to France’s internal intelligence agency (DGSI), which handles counter-espionage and terrorism threats. The remaining ten — six police officers and four gendarmes — were part of the Directorate for International Security Cooperation (DCIS).

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Their roles included coordinating cooperation with the Algerian police, facilitating joint efforts on complex security matters, and providing support in training and capacity building.

These 12 expelled individuals were not mere administrative staff; they represented France’s security presence in Algeria and are internally referred to within the French Interior Ministry as “field experts.”

They operated discreetly, handling highly sensitive files related to French internal security, especially in tracking terrorist movements in the Maghreb region and enhancing intelligence exchange on crime and migration networks.

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According to sources familiar with the matter, some of these officers are fluent in Arabic and underwent special training to operate in culturally and security-sensitive environments.

Their presence in Algeria was not entirely secret but was coordinated with Algerian security authorities and formed part of long-standing bilateral cooperation agreements. Their expulsion, therefore, carries more than an administrative weight — it is seen as a direct blow to the French security infrastructure in North Africa.

Tensions Over the Migration Issue

The expulsion comes amid heightened tensions over the “Obligations to Leave French Territory” (OQTF), a highly sensitive topic for Algeria, especially in light of repeated pressure from Paris to repatriate undocumented Algerian migrants.

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