The Algerian government announced this Thursday, September 26, 2024 the immediate reintroduction of the visa obligation for all Moroccan citizens wishing to enter Algerian territory.
This decision was confirmed by a press release from the Algerian Foreign Ministry, adding that this measure aims to strengthen national security.
So far, despite the breakdown of diplomatic relations in August 2021, Algeria had maintained a certain freedom of movement between the two countries, based on human and family ties which unite the two peoples. However, the Algerian government justifies this revision by claiming that Morocco has abused the visa exemption by carrying out threatening actions for the stability of Algeria.
The press release accuses Morocco of being involved in illegal activities, including drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, and organized crime networks. In addition, Algeria denounces the deployment of Zionist intelligence agents, provided with Moroccan passports, who would have taken advantage of the lack of control to enter its territory. These acts are considered direct national security threats, hence the need for stricter control at the entry points.
The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that these actions illustrate hostile actions on the part of Morocco, which is held responsible for the deterioration of bilateral relations. In September, the Tlemcen prosecution announced the arrest of several individuals, including four Moroccans, accused of being part of a spy network.
The boundaries between the two countries have been closed since 1994, but freedom of movement has not been called into question so far. The recent normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel feeds additional tensions, Algeria considering this alliance as a threat. In addition to diplomatic differences, territorial conflicts linked to Western Sahara and Algerian support for the separatists of the Kabylia Autonomy Movement (MAK), now classified as a terrorist organization, further complicate relations between Algiers and Rabat.
