Algerians represent the largest foreign inmate population in French prisons, outnumbering Moroccans two to one and Tunisians four to one, according to Le Figaro.
The challenge of deporting the detainees has become a growing headache for French authorities, further straining already tense diplomatic relations with Algeria.
Far from declining, the trend appears to be accelerating. In 2023, Algerians accounted for nearly 23% of all foreign nationals arrested for immigration violations. Of the 147,154 arrests made by French law enforcement that year, 33,754 involved Algerians.
Official prison data paints a similar picture. As of October 2021, 3,726 Algerians were incarcerated in France, making up 4.5% of the total prison population and 20% of all foreign detainees – more than the combined total of inmates from the European Union and the United Kingdom.
Faced with overcrowded prisons, the French government has been working to expel some of the detainees. However, the process has proven difficult. Administrative detention centers (CRA), designed to house individuals awaiting deportation, are at full capacity – many of them occupied by Algerians. In 2024, they represented 43% of detainees in these facilities, up from 33% the previous year.
Despite an increase in deportation orders – 21,726 issued in 2023, a 44% rise from 2022 – only 2,999 Algerians were actually expelled. Among those detained, 90% were flagged for radicalization, had criminal records or were deemed threats to public order.
For those who were deported, the majority – 73% – were forcibly removed, averaging six per day. The rest benefited from voluntary return programs with financial incentives. However, overall, only 10% of Algerians slated for deportation were actually expelled.
The most contentious cases involve former prisoners convicted of criminal or terrorism-related offenses. In 2023, over 1,000 Algerians were placed in detention centers to facilitate their deportation, yet fewer than 26% were ultimately sent back.
The numbers for 2024 show slight improvement, and with diplomatic tensions between Paris and Algiers at a high point, the outlook remains bleak.
One major roadblock is Algeria’s reluctance to issue the necessary travel documents for repatriation. Many detained Algerians claim no identification, making their return legally impossible without consular approval.
Even those with valid passports now face hurdles, as Air Algerie refuses to board deportees without a special consular permit – an unprecedented demand that directly contradicts existing Franco-Algerian agreements.
With France legally bound to release detainees after 90 days if deportation cannot be arranged, authorities are growing increasingly frustrated.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has called for extending the detention period to 18 months, in line with European regulations, but no legislative changes have been made.
