Migratory negotiations between Morocco and France over the ongoing visa restriction policy of the European country are well underway, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna reveals in the French senate this week.
European and French visa restrictions to Moroccan and Algerian nationals were the subject of an oral question raised in the French Senate on Wednesday October 5, as the case continues to make headlines in Morocco.
Senator Helen Conway-Mouret from the Green Socialist party stressed that the quantitive decision from the French government is affecting above all the citizens who weave human, cultural, educational and economic ties between France and the Maghreb countries concerned with this policy.
“The punitive policy is seen as a collective punishment for those who do not represent any danger in terms of immigration, and who go to France for family and professional purposes,” added the Socialist senator.
She pointed out that the requests for visas subsequently cost the French government foreign investments, as business owners eventually turned to “more welcoming, friendlier European neighbors.“
“Foreign investors are turning to other countries such as Spain, Austria and Italy, who reaping economic benefits today and they thank you for that.”
The senator added that these restrictive measures have proven ineffective since the countries concerned have not agreed to take back their citizens in an irregular situation in France as of yet.
The socialist senator noted that illegal immigration has not decreased, and that the recent French elections showed the faltering of this approach, concluding that “it is time to leave it to the experienced staff in the consulates to judge the applications submitted to them, and therefore reject those they judge inadmissible.”
“It is time to negotiate bilateral agreements on migration, agreements do not undermine relations with our African partners,” she added.
In response to these observations, Colonna recalled that these restrictive measures were taken “after noting the staggeringly low number of consular permits issued by these countries for the expulsion measures issued by the French Ministry of the Interior against foreigners with an irregular status in the French territory.”
“With regard to cooperation in the field of migration, the recent negotiations between the French Minister of the Interior and his counterparts in the countries concerned were positive. There is a real improvement in the situation and negotiations are continuing in a constructive manner.”
The French minister said: “The Minister of the Interior and I are happy about this. The recent negotiations with Morocco are making progress. We hope that we can continue to move forward in order to put an end to this situation.”
Colonna argued that these “restrictive measures have been implemented with care to preserve the priority North African nationals as much as possible, especially students, businessmen, artists, etc.”
However, the reality on the ground in Morocco is quite different. Students, businessmen and artists alike have seen their visas to France “unjustifiably“ refused, according to numerous accounts.
France and Tunisia recently jointly announced that the French visa restrictions for Tunisians are over, but no progress has been made with the remaining countries concerned with this policy.
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