The French government is doubling down on its mechanisms against irregular migration, in light of the recent tragic murder of 12-year-old child Lola, by an Algerian citizen residing illegally in France.
While the French attempt to heal from the traumatic and heinous crime, right-wing politicians and civil society groups have co-opted the story, to further anti-immigrant agendas.
This increased public debate around migration to France, which was brought up in a recent “Grand Rendez-Vous” interview on CNEWS which saw Government spokesman Olivier Véran highlighting the importance and efficiency of the Obligations to Leave French Territory (OQTF).
Véran pointed out that “quarantines and the COVID-19 pandemic” have made expulsions “more difficult” in recent years, reminding that “no country in the region issues more expulsions than France.”
The problem, says the official, does not come from France’s capacity in sending irregular migrants back to their home countries, but rather the capacity to have these countries accept to take back their nationals.”
The spokesman argued that this is exactly why the French government decided to “send a strong message last year, by drastically cutting the number of legal visas granted to Moroccan and Algerian nationals.“
“A fight we are engaging in both on the national and European fronts,” said Véran, adding that France is engaging in constant diplomatic efforts with those countries to move this issue forward.
Despite the ongoing “silent crisis“ Morocco and France are experiencing for a little over a year now, France seems to remain convinced that its visa policy is the solution to settle this migratory dispute with Morocco.
Last year, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita stated that, unlike what French authorities claim, Morocco’s refusal to repatriate certain nationals from France is down to these individuals refusing to comply with conditions to enter the Moroccan territory.
Since then, France and Tunisia jointly announced that visa procedures between the two countries have normalized, with French officials later saying that negotiations with Morocco are on the right path.
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