As of September 16, 2026, Morocco has officially prohibited entry to its territory for any Algerian national lacking a valid Moroccan residency card. This directive, delivered to airlines servicing Algeria without any formal public announcement, signifies a further escalation in the already strained relations between Rabat and Algiers. The Moroccan border police directly communicated this measure to transport companies, imposing systematic checks on Algerian passengers prior to boarding under threat of financial penalties for those who fail to comply upon arrival in Morocco.
Air France was the first airline to implement this filtering process, initiating it at the airports in Algiers and Oran. The airline activated its ALTEA passenger management system, developed by Amadeus, to automatically identify travelers of Algerian nationality. Ground staff have been instructed to verify the presence of a valid Moroccan residency card before issuing any boarding passes. In a message directed to its teams, the French carrier clarified that this requirement was mandated by Moroccan border authorities rather than being a result of its internal commercial decisions. Consequently, Algerian passengers unable to present a valid residency document are denied boarding, regardless of their final destination within Morocco.
Context of Growing Tensions Between Morocco and Algeria
This new administrative barrier does not arise in isolation. Since the African Cup of Nations held in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, the Moroccan authorities have intensified restrictive measures aimed at Algerian travelers, including legal actions against dual Franco-Algerian nationals. Tensions escalated further following the events in Ceuta at the end of July 2026, linked to a migratory wave that prompted Morocco to tighten its controls on Algerian and Tunisian nationals at the Casablanca airport.
It is noteworthy that direct air links between the two countries have been severed since Algeria closed its airspace to Moroccan airlines. Consequently, Algerians wishing to travel to Morocco must transit through a third country, with France and Tunisia being the most commonly used connections. This latest ban complicates an already challenging journey for non-resident travelers. Additionally, the military alliance forged by Morocco with Israel during a diplomatic crisis in 2021 already highlighted the extent of the rift between these two North African neighbors. The land border between the two nations has remained closed since 2021, the same year that Algeria severed diplomatic ties with Rabat. The dispute surrounding Western Sahara continues to be the central issue in this long-standing conflict, but recent developments—such as the CAN 2025, the Ceuta crisis, and now this entry ban for non-residents—indicate a deterioration that is increasingly affecting civilian mobility.
Official Silence Amid Controversy
At this juncture, neither Algeria nor Morocco has issued an official statement confirming or publicly commenting on this ban. The silence from Moroccan authorities is particularly notable given that the measure has immediate and tangible consequences for thousands of travelers, including families separated by the closure of the land border and dual nationals with professional or personal ties to Morocco. Several Algerian media outlets, including Just Info DZ and Observalgérie, report significant concern among Algerians in the diaspora, particularly those residing in France who are accustomed to transiting through Morocco for familial or professional reasons. Without a Moroccan residency card, these travelers effectively find themselves barred from entering the Cherifian territory, even for a simple transit or extended layover.
This situation also echoes the cessation of Algerian gas shipments to Morocco, a decision taken by Algiers in 2021 as retaliation for the deterioration of bilateral relations. Five years later, the escalation extends beyond energy infrastructure and diplomatic posturing, directly impacting the freedom of movement for ordinary citizens in a context where no regional or international mediation appears to be on the horizon to defuse the crisis. Observers fear that this new restriction may not merely be a temporary measure linked to a spike in tensions but rather a long-term policy, adding to the already extensive list of grievances between the two capitals: closed borders, severed airspace, recalled ambassadors, and now explicit migratory discrimination based on nationality.
As reported by mediaterranee.com.
