(ALGERIA) — President Abdelmadjid Tebboune signed Law No. 26-01 on February 17, 2026, amending Algeria’s 1970 nationality code to let authorities revoke citizenship from both naturalized and native-born citizens.
Algeria published the measure in the Official Gazette in Issue No. 14, and it came into immediate effect in late February 2026.
The change broadens revocation authority beyond the category of Algerians who acquired nationality later in life, extending it to “original (native-born) Algerians” under amended provisions.
Officials did not publish a separate rollout schedule in the material provided, and the law’s implementation rests on a warning process followed by a presidential decree.
The amendments arrive as Algerians abroad, including dual nationals, face closer scrutiny over how domestic legal status changes can ripple into travel documents and cross-border identity checks.
The U.S. immigration system does not apply foreign nationality laws, but visa processing and screening can hinge on consistent nationality records and valid passports, especially for people with more than one citizenship.
As of February 26, 2026, there is no specific USCIS or DHS press release commenting directly on the Algerian legislation.
Broader U.S. policy items issued earlier in 2026, however, frame a tougher posture on “high-risk” national security vetting that can affect Algerian nationals and dual citizens in adjudications and visa processing.
A USCIS Policy Memorandum dated January 1, 2026, said: “USCIS personnel are instructed to prioritize national security and public safety concerns and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations during the adjudication process. [including] a re-review of approved benefit requests for individuals from high-risk countries.”
Separate Department of State / DHS guidance dated February 2, 2026, confirmed a “pause” on certain immigrant visa issuances for nationals of several countries, including Algeria, to “ensure that immigrants from high-risk countries do not unlawfully utilize welfare. or become a public charge.”
A Presidential Proclamation 10998 dated January 1, 2026, restricted entry for nationals from various countries and set a framework for “rigorous, security-focused screening and vetting procedures,” without mentioning Algeria’s new revocation law, which came later.
Law No. 26-01 amends Ordinance No. 70-86, which governs nationality, and it adds revocation tools under expanded provisions cited as Article 22 & 22 bis.
The law sets out grounds tied to conduct abroad and affiliations that Algeria deems hostile to the state, using phrases that include acts abroad that “seriously harm the vital interests of the state,” “national unity,” or “state security.”
It also cites “Attacking the ‘symbols of the liberation revolution’” as a basis for revocation.
Another listed ground involves “Declaring allegiance to a foreign state or working for foreign military/security forces.”
The law also targets people accused of “Joining, financing, or glorifying terrorist or ‘subversive’ organizations.”
Alongside these grounds, the measure includes what it describes as a statelessness safeguard, generally requiring that a person hold another nationality before Algeria strips citizenship.
That safeguard does not apply, under the text summarized in the material provided, to individuals convicted of treason, espionage, or “bearing arms against Algeria.”
The procedure begins with a formal warning that the government can deliver through legal or electronic means.
After receiving the warning, the individual has between 15 and 60 days to comply or cease the “hostile activities” before authorities finalize the revocation process via presidential decree.
The law’s design puts the warning-and-decree sequence at the center of enforcement, rather than an immediate administrative cancellation at the first step.
It also creates a clear compliance window, while leaving the final step with the presidency through a decree mechanism.
For Algerians living abroad, the most immediate practical question may be documentation: a person’s passport status and nationality records can collide with airline checks, border controls, and consular processes.
A revocation decision can also affect return rights and entry and exit from Algeria, because nationality typically underpins the right to enter and reside.
Dual nationals can face a different set of issues, because they may still hold another passport and nationality even if Algeria revokes Algerian citizenship.
For U.S.-Algerian dual citizens, loss of Algerian nationality would not itself remove U.S. citizenship, but it could reshape how an individual is treated by Algerian authorities and what documents they can use in dealings with Algerian institutions.
Travel can also become more complex if a person’s identity records diverge across systems, such as when one country recognizes a person as its citizen and another no longer does.
Consular interactions can change too, because access to consular help often depends on where a person is located and what citizenship the local authorities recognize in practice.
The statelessness clause, as framed in the material provided, seeks to prevent a person from ending up without any nationality, but the waiver for treason, espionage, or “bearing arms against Algeria” creates an exception that can matter in the most serious cases alleged.
The law has drawn pointed criticism focused on its reach into the diaspora and the breadth of “acts abroad” language.
Human rights organizations and legal experts, as described in the material provided, said the measure targets the Algerian diaspora, estimated at over 6 million in France alone, as well as members of the Hirak pro-democracy movement.
Critics cast the sanction in stark terms, describing it as a “guillotine of citizenship” and “civil death.”
Those concerns center on how political speech and activism outside Algeria could fall under provisions that refer to “hostile activities” and acts abroad that “seriously harm the vital interests of the state,” even when conduct occurs outside Algerian territory.
The risk, critics argue in the material provided, is not limited to people who naturalized elsewhere, because the amended scope includes “original (native-born) Algerians.”
The law’s focus on “symbols of the liberation revolution” also places political expression and historical narratives within the ambit of citizenship security, according to the grounds described.
Even before any case reaches a decree, the warning process can create pressure on people living abroad, because the law provides for formal warning through legal or electronic means and a defined response period of 15 and 60 days.
The U.S. context adds another layer for Algerians who travel frequently or maintain pending immigration matters, because U.S. screening and adjudications can involve identity and nationality checks that depend on stable documentation.
USCIS and the Department of State publish updates that can shape how consular officers and adjudicators interpret risk factors, while still applying U.S. law rather than Algeria’s internal legal choices.
For travelers and applicants, official channels remain the primary way to track authoritative text and any subsequent notices tied to Law No. 26-01 and its enforcement.
Algeria’s Official Gazette, the Journal Officiel, provides the published law text and citation details, including Issue No. 14, and readers can search for the entry via the Algerian Official Gazette (Journal Officiel).
U.S. citizens and dual nationals typically monitor the U.S. Department of State – Algeria Country Information for country information and related official updates.
The U.S. Embassy in Algeria – Alerts posts notices aimed at U.S. citizens in-country, including security messaging and travel-related updates.
USCIS publishes policy statements and updates through the USCIS Newsroom, where any future agency comment tied to Algeria’s nationality changes would ordinarily appear.
Algeria Enforces Law No. 26-01 on Citizenship Revocation, Official Gazette
Algeria’s new Law No. 26-01 permits the revocation of citizenship for native-born and naturalized citizens involved in activities deemed harmful to the state. The process involves a mandatory warning followed by a presidential decree. This change significantly impacts the Algerian diaspora and dual nationals, complicating international travel and consular protection, particularly as U.S. authorities implement stricter national security vetting and visa pauses for high-risk regions.
