Moroccan consumer groups call for end to Schengen visa, cite discrimination

Moroccan consumer rights organizations are urging the European Union to scrap the Schengen visa requirement, arguing that it has become a tool of discrimination that restricts freedom of movement for Africans.

The call comes amid reports that Saudi citizens may soon gain visa-free access to Europe, a development that has sparked frustration across parts of Africa where travel remains heavily restricted.

Bouazza Kherrati, president of the Moroccan Consumers’ Rights Federation, said the current visa system violates international treaties that uphold freedom of movement as a basic human right.

“By keeping the Schengen system in place, Europe is openly breaching agreements that were meant to ensure equality,” Kherrati told Hespress Ar.

He added that the system places countries like Morocco in a weak position where reciprocity is nearly impossible. “This reflects a serious flaw in international justice regarding the right to travel,” he said, noting that Africans who contributed to Europe’s history and development are now denied fair access.

Kherrati also described the issue as humanitarian, not just political. “As Schengen becomes harder to obtain year after year, Morocco should consider enforcing reciprocity to defend the dignity of its citizens,” he said.

Ali Chtour, president of the Moroccan Association for the Defense of Consumers’ Rights, described the Schengen regime as “a discriminatory system par excellence.”

“The visa system unfairly divides people based on nationality and has no place in a world that claims to uphold human rights,” Chtour said.

While he acknowledged that concerns over irregular migration partly explain Europe’s stance, he argued that these fears should not outweigh the broader human rights dimension.

“Ending the visa requirement would open real bridges of cooperation and coexistence,” he said.