French Government Basking in the Reduction of Visas for Algerians

French authorities have revealed their true intentions, which they have long tried to hide, by openly celebrating the reduction in visas granted to Algerian nationals, showcasing figures that they consider an unprecedented tightening of immigration policy towards Algeria.

This unprecedented official French enthusiasm was revealed in an official response from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to a parliamentary question concerning the increase in the number of student visas granted to Algerians. This increase sparked controversy in Paris due to its timing, coinciding with calls from the Élysée Palace for a stricter approach towards Algeria.

In its response dated December 2, 2025, checked out by Echorouk, the French government stated that its visa policy for Algeria is based on a “rigorous and controlled approach.” It emphasised that this policy combines strict control over migration flows with what it calls “promoting high-level academic mobility.” The government explained that this approach aligns with the instructions of President Emmanuel Macron, who stressed the need to combine “attractive selectivity” with “rigorous immigration requirements.”

The French Foreign Ministry revealed that visa applications submitted in Algeria during the first nine months of 2025 decreased by 24% compared to the same period in 2024, and that the number of visas granted to Algerians fell by 14.5%.

The Foreign Ministry stated that the rejection rate reached 31%, double the global average of 16%, considering this evidence of the “rigour” adopted by French consulates in Algeria.

The French government’s response also highlighted what it considered a significant decrease in several visa categories: tourist visas (down 21%), economic visas (down 12.6%), humanitarian visas (down 48%), and family visit visas (down 7.4%).

Despite this overall decline, Paris noted that a small part of visas remained unchanged: student visas, which represent only 5.8% of all visas granted to Algerians.

The Macron government stated that the increase recorded in the 2025 academic year is due to “selectivity based on merit,” and to prioritising students pursuing fields that France considers part of the “sectors of the future,” linked to re-industrialisation, innovation, and technology within the framework of France 2030.

It explained that the rejection rate for student visas reached approximately 44%, one of the highest rates among all categories, considering this further evidence of stricter procedures, adding that approximately 60% of Algerian students in France are enrolled in science, medicine, and health-related fields, compared to 25% in the humanities and social sciences, and 14% in law, economics, and political science. It asserted that only students “who provide serious guarantees regarding their academic level, financial resources, and commitment to a coherent study plan” are accepted.

The French government’s response came after a written question submitted by French MP Constance Le Grip, dated October 14, 2025, inquiring about the reasons behind the announced increase in the number of student visas granted to Algerians at the end of September 2025. This increase amounted to 8,351 long-term study visas for the academic year, representing an increase of over a thousand visas compared to the previous year, with an acceptance rate of nearly 87%.

The MP pointed out that Algeria has become one of the leading countries sending students to France, and that this increase has continued for the fourth consecutive year. She considered this trend “contradictory” given the deterioration of bilateral relations, recalling President Macron’s letter of August 2015, in which he stressed the need for a “more stringent approach” towards Algeria and called on the government to take “additional measures” due to what he described as Algeria’s “failure to respect its commitments” on migration, including the 1994 and 2013 readmission agreements, and the suspension of consular cooperation in issuing transit visas.

MP LE Grip questioned the absence of any “clear condition” linking Algeria’s cooperation on the migration issue to visa facilitation, considering that the strong increase in student visas “shows a contradiction with the line announced by the Élysée Palace.” She also asked the government to clarify the reasons that led to this increase, and how to ensure consistency between the strict policy called for by the President and the policy of granting student visas.