French parliamentary report calls for termination of 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement

Wednesday 15 October 2025 - 11:00

By: Sahili Aya

French parliamentary report calls for termination of 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement

In the name of “equality” with other foreign nationals, a new French parliamentary report has proposed ending the special privileges granted to Algerian citizens under the Franco-Algerian agreement of 1968.

The document, authored by ruling party MPs Mathieu Lefèvre—recently appointed Minister Delegate for Ecological Transition—and Charles Rodwell, recommends abolishing the unique legal status that governs Algerians’ rights of residence, work, movement, and social protection in France.

According to the report, this system “creates a breach of equality that weakens France’s legal order and imposes a significant financial burden on public finances,” with an estimated cost of around €2 billion, though the authors acknowledge the lack of precise data.

Signed six years after the end of the Algerian War (1954–1962), the 1968 accord was intended to facilitate Algerian labor migration at a time when France faced workforce shortages. It allows Algerians to obtain ten-year residence permits through simplified procedures and grants the same status to family members joining them.

The MPs argue that these provisions discriminate between foreigners based on nationality and note that the agreement lacks reciprocity, calling it “more of a unilateral declaration by France than a bilateral treaty.”

They insist that terminating the agreement could be done without a direct diplomatic confrontation with Algeria.

The proposal comes amid strained relations between Paris and Algiers, worsened since France recognized Morocco’s autonomy plan for Sahara in 2024. Algerians remain the largest foreign community in France, with nearly 650,000 residents and the highest number of irregular migrants detained in 2024.