Revocation of Nationality: Algeria Draws a Red Line
Algiers – December 2025 – The Algerian state has moved decisively to reaffirm one of its most sensitive and sovereign red lines: nationality. On Wednesday, the Executive formally approved a proposed law on the revocation of Algerian nationality, endorsing a text drafted by the People’s National Assembly (APN) and presented as a response to what authorities describe as growing threats to national security, unity, and the higher interests of the State.
Speaking before the Legal Affairs Committee of the lower house of Parliament, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Lotfi Boudjemaa, confirmed the government’s favorable opinion on the proposal to amend Ordinance No. 86-70 of December 15, 1970, relating to the Algerian Nationality Code. He stressed that the reform answers a “sovereign necessity” dictated by current challenges, while underlining that it will remain “strictly exceptional” and constitutionally framed, applying only to cases of manifest treason or grave harm to the supreme interests of the nation.
A Constitutionally Grounded Reform
The Minister recalled that, in accordance with established procedures, the government was formally seized of the proposal and issued a series of observations. He emphasized that the constitutional framework, particularly Article 36, explicitly authorizes revisions related to the acquisition, loss, or revocation of nationality. From a constitutional standpoint, therefore, the principle allowing such an amendment is fully satisfied.
However, Boudjemaa was categorical in asserting that revocation of nationality can never be a routine measure. It may only be contemplated in extremely serious circumstances, such as proven treason, collusion with a foreign power, or acts that directly undermine national unity, historical identity, or social cohesion. Particular emphasis was placed on individuals who exploit an acquired nationality or a second nationality to attack and discredit their original Algerian nationality—an element the Minister described as “fundamental” to the spirit of the reform.
Exceptional Measure, Robust Safeguards
The government further insisted that this exceptional measure must be surrounded by strong procedural guarantees. These include the incontestable establishment of the alleged facts, official notification of the proceedings to the concerned individual, the right to present observations and a defense within a legally defined timeframe, and the final adoption of revocation through a presidential decree, in full respect of the principle of legality. The framework also leaves open the possibility of future reintegration into Algerian nationality should the grounds that justified revocation cease to exist.
Reiterating the philosophy behind the proposal, Boudjemaa clarified that it “does not target nationality as such,” but rather “extremely grave behaviors involving treason, endangering national unity, or instrumentalizing another nationality at the expense of Algerian identity.”
“Today’s Traitors Deserve Greater Reprobation”
For Hichem Sfar, initiator of the legislative proposal, the objective is clear: safeguarding the security and stability of the State. In a forceful intervention, he drew a parallel with Algeria’s historical struggles, recalling that even during the era of anti-colonial resistance, traitors existed alongside martyrs and freedom fighters.
“Such traitors still exist today,” Sfar declared. “At a moment when Algeria is pursuing economic recovery, striving for food and water security, and seeking to embody a ‘New Algeria’ based on clear political will—as affirmed by the President of the Republic—voices once again rise to betray.” He argued that betrayal committed freely and deliberately in an independent Algeria is fundamentally different, and morally more reprehensible, than that committed under colonial occupation. “The traitors of today,” he concluded, “deserve, in truth, greater condemnation than those of the colonial era.”
Irrefutable Proof as a Fundamental Prerequisite
Sfar was keen to stress that revocation of nationality is neither a general rule nor an automatic sanction. It is a strictly exceptional legal measure, reserved for rare cases where irrefutable evidence establishes that an individual has deliberately demonstrated hostility toward the supreme interests of the nation and renounced their duty of loyalty.
He further clarified that the proposal does not challenge the principle of dual nationality itself. Rather, it targets cases where multiple nationalities are misused by certain individuals to seriously harm the nation or to shield themselves from their legal obligations toward their country of origin. Revocation, he insisted, can only occur after solid and concrete evidence is gathered, within strict procedures that exclude arbitrariness and anchor the measure firmly within the logic of the rule of law and the protection of the State’s fundamental institutions.
Nationality as a Moral and Legal Commitment
The President of the APN’s Legal Affairs Committee echoed these positions, describing the text as a sovereign legislative act touching one of the foundational pillars of nationality. He noted that the proposal comes in a specific national and constitutional context marked by rapid transformations and mounting challenges facing the State. In his view, it reflects a legislative awareness of the need to strengthen the legal arsenal in order to eradicate practices that undermine the spirit of national belonging or compromise the core principle of loyalty to the State and its institutions.
“Algerian nationality is neither a formal privilege nor a mere legal bond,” he affirmed. “It is a moral and legal commitment founded on devotion to the homeland, and on the defense of its sovereignty, unity, and security.”
For his part, the president of the RND parliamentary group stressed that the revocation procedure must remain singular, clearly defined, and narrowly framed. He proposed that the text explicitly target any individual who acquires another nationality and uses it to attack their homeland and their nationality of origin.
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