France tightens visa rules for citizens of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia: Official

French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal on Tuesday announced that the country had decided to tighten the visa requirement process for Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian nationals. Speaking to the French Radio station Europe 1, he informed that the decision had been taken in response to Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia's lack of cooperation in providing consular passes, which are required for the repatriation of migrants expelled from France to their homelands, according to news agency Sputnik.

In 2018, France passed the Asylum and Immigration Act which was intended to curb the flow of asylum seekers in response to "unprecedented migratory pressure," according to Attal. Earlier, Europe 1 reported that Paris would cut the number of visas granted to Algerian and Moroccan nationals by half, and Tunisians' visas would be reduced by 30% in compared to 2020.  

According to Attal, the law established guidelines for persons who are granted asylum in France. He stated that those who are welcomed into the country must assimilate into the population, while those who do not plan to stay in French territory should be escorted at the border. It should be mentioned here that hundreds of Moroccan, Tunisian, and Algerian people are living in France illegally since their home nations refuse to provide them with a so-called consular pass, which would allow French authorities to deport illegal migrants back to their home countries. In response to the matter, Attal stated that the country had held negotiations with a number of countries, particularly those in the Maghreb region, to request the issuance of these consular passes. 

'France received threat after deciding to reduce number of visas to three countries'

Despite the Prime Minister's and other cabinet members' discussions with the embassies of the affected countries, Attal claimed that the country has received threats as a result of its decision to reduce the number of visas provided to Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, reported by Schengenvisainfo news. According to data by SchengenVisaInfo, France issued as many as 73,381 visas to Moroccan citizens in 2020. In the same year, the French authorities issued 63,366 visas to Algerian nationals and 35,122 to Tunisian nationals. Previously, the French government informed that the country will now provide new and modernised assistance to all foreigners in need of services relating to their residence permits. This means that after long-stay visas for foreigners have been validated, residence permits and other services can now be obtained online.

(Image: Twitter/@ Gabriel Attal/Unsplash)