The Algerian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday, September 26, the immediate reinstatement of a visa requirement for Moroccan passport holders. The decision is attributed to concerns over “destabilization activities,” including human and drug trafficking, espionage, and the presence of “Zionist agents.”
This move marks a further deterioration in the already tense relations between Algeria and Morocco, which severed diplomatic ties in 2021. At the time, Algeria refrained from imposing a visa requirement to honor “solidarity values” due to the familial bonds between the two nations.
The primary issue straining relations is Morocco’s stance on Western Sahara and its efforts to gain support for its autonomy plan for the region. While the UN still recognizes Spain as the colonial administrative authority in Western Sahara, even after Morocco’s annexation in 1975, countries like Spain and the U.S. have shifted their diplomatic positions in favor of Morocco.
Meanwhile, Algeria continues to support the Polisario Front, which advocates for the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.