Act ratifying the Convention relating to the position of children born to separated French-Algerian couples, 12 July 1988.

This Convention is designed to solve the problems of children born to French-Algerian parents who have separated and live on opposite sides of the Mediterranean Sea. It applies to legitimately born children, one parent of whom is of Algerian nationality and the other of French nationality and contains provisions relating to preventing conflicts as well as regulating them in court. It is based on the premise that such children should be able freely to circulate in both countries and aims at maintaining a child's ties to both parents. Under the Convention, a judge is to give visitation rights to the parent who is not given custody, except in exceptional circumstances. Parents who interfere with visitation rights are subject to criminal sanctions, and procedures for obtaining the return of children who are held are simplified. The Government of France ratified the Convention by means of Decree No. 88-809 of 12 July 1988.