The Interior Minister of France, Bruno Retailleau, visited Rabat on Monday for high-level discussions with his Moroccan counterpart, Abdelouafi Laftit, aimed at strengthening bilateral security cooperation.
According to the French interior ministry, the talks will centre on joint efforts to manage migration, combat organised crime, and disrupt drug trafficking networks—key areas of concern for both countries.
Retailleau’s visit comes at a time of renewed warmth in Franco-Moroccan relations. Ties between Paris and Rabat have notably improved since France officially recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara in the summer of 2024—a move that helped mend years of diplomatic strain, particularly over migration issues.
However, that same decision has deepened the rift between France and Algeria. Algiers, a staunch supporter of the Polisario Front—which seeks independence for Western Sahara—has reacted negatively to Paris’ shift in policy.
Tensions between the two countries escalated further on Monday, after French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot revealed that Algeria had ordered 12 French officials to leave the country within 48 hours. The expulsion followed the arrest of three Algerian nationals in France, Barrot said, although further details on the detentions have yet to be disclosed.
The diplomatic fallout underscores the increasingly complex dynamics France faces in balancing its relationships with North African nations, each with competing regional interests and longstanding political grievances.
“I am asking Algerian authorities to abandon these expulsion measures,” Barrot said, adding: “If the decision to send back our officials is maintained, we will have no other choice but to respond immediately.”
