The number of Moroccans who receive visas from France has declined, according to figures released on Thursday by the Directorate General for Foreigners in France (DGEF), a division of the French Ministry of the Interior and Overseas Territories.
Morocco received 69,408 visas from France in that year compared to 346,032 in 2019.
In the past year, citizens from all over the world applied for 2,336,299 visas at French consulates, of which 1,738,151 were granted and 500,433 were rejected.
Indians hold the top spot among nationalities on the shared list, receiving 158,619 visas in total, a +250% increase from 2021. With 142,921 visas issued, or +105.9% from 2021, Moroccans come in second on the list.According to the report, Algerians rank third (131,264 visas, +106.2%), ahead of Turks (103,310, +136.6%), and Chinese (99,579, +325%). In 2022, Indian citizens received more visas than Moroccan and Algerian citizens combined.
Prior to the Chinese and Russian crises, the first two nationalities of French visa holders saw large increases, although they are still far below 2019 levels, according to the DGEF.
Moroccans have been complaining about visa refusals for a while now.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna visited Morocco in December and said that her government authorized the unimpeded resumption of consular services to Morocco, signaling the end of what has been dubbed the ‘Visa crisis,’ which saw French visas granted to Moroccans slashed in half.
“Measures have been taken to return the situation to normal concerning the issue of visas,” said Colonna in a press conference with her counterpart Nasser Bourita.
Prior to this visit, in November, French president Emmanuel Macron insisted that the restriction on the granting of visas for Algeria and Morocco decided in 2021 was already showing results.
The visa restrictions hindered many Moroccans from essential travel, either required for their education, careers, and emergency personal circumstances.
In the same month, The Moroccan Coalition of Human Rights Organizations, which brings together around 20 NGOs, denounced Saturday “the humiliating and degrading treatment” of some consulates of European Union member countries in Morocco, towards visa applicants.
The NGOs criticised the fact that consulates do not give explanations for the refusal of applications, and do not reimburse the application fees to applicants whose visa requests have been rejected.
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