The French Authorities have on Tuesday, announced a tougher Visa policy on some African countries, especially those from the North, as they move to address the issues of deportation with these countries, called Maghreb nationals.
According to reports by BFMTV, the tougher Visa measures by the French Authorities targeted North Africa Maghreb nationals from countries such as Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
The government spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday morning the drop in the number of visas granted to Maghreb nationals. One way to put pressure on Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria.
The French Authorities had announced that they are tightening the conditions for granting visas with regard to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
“It is a drastic decision, it is an unprecedented decision, but it is a decision made necessary by the fact that these countries do not accept to take back nationals that we do not want and cannot keep in France” , he justified in the interview with Sonia Mabrouk.
Curb deportations to the border
The attitude of these countries “slows down the effectiveness of effective escapes” at the border once the obligations to leave French territory (OQTF) have been issued, continued the Secretary of State.
These countries may in fact refuse to issue consular passes, necessary for the return of returned immigrants.
According to information from Europe 1, in the case of Algeria, between January and July 2021, the French justice has indeed ordered 7,731 obligations to leave French territory. 22 were applied, ie just over 0.2%.
Change the politics of the Maghreb countries
The decision had been in the pipeline for several weeks. Jean Castex and Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior, have visited Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria in recent months to advance the subject.
The objective of this drastic reduction in visas is to “push the countries concerned to change their policy and agree to issue these consular passes,” said the government spokesperson.
Reacting to this announcement on BFMTV, RN deputy Sébastien Chenu hailed a “common sense decision”.
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“There is finally in this country an awareness and I welcome it”, judged the parliamentarian, while deploring the “at the same time of Emmanuel Macron on the migration issue”.