ALGIERS, Algeria, March 19, (AP): A dispute over the fate of 60 Algerians that France hopes to deport has deepened a rupture between the countries that has approached a historic low over the past year. Algeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday rejected a French list of Algerians "with a dangerous profile” set for deportation.

It said the list from France's Interior Ministry bypassed traditional diplomatic channels for such expulsions and denied the Algerians their rightful trials. The ministry statement rejected "threats and intimidation attempts, as well as injunctions, ultimatums, and any coercive language.” France’s right-wing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who had previously threatened that France could terminate decades-old immigration and visa accords, on Tuesday pledged to retaliate in a post on X.

The list in question is the first time that France has publicly discussed compiling and transmitting names of those slated for expulsion. The names are a fraction of the Algerians that French authorities have previously said they've designated for deportation. As conservative forces have risen in France in recent months, officials including Retailleau have pushed for stricter immigration controls, and the government has intensified its efforts to expel Algerians.

Data submitted to France's parliament last year showed less than 10% of French expulsion orders lead to actual deportations. The Algerians set to be deported include a 37-year-old suspect sentenced to life for his role in an eastern France stabbing attack last month, and a trio of TikTok influencers found guilty of inciting violence against Morocco or opponents of Algeria’s government.