After his foreign affairs counterpart, French interior minister Gérald Darmanin is expected to visit Morocco in early March, according to the Parisian media outlet Africa Intelligence.
Darmanin’s visit comes as relations between Morocco and France are warming up after a 2-year standstill.
Séjourné’s visit signaled a new shift in France’s approach to the Sahara issue by announcing Paris’ support for Moroccan investment in the southern provinces.
Darmanin’s visit is likely to focus on several issues, including the issue of imams seconded from Morocco to France. In 2021, France announced that it would be reducing the number of imams seconded from Morocco amid concerns about the spread of radical Islam.
The question of migration is also on the table, with Morocco being a major source of migrants to France, and the two countries collaborating together to combat illegal immigration.
Another issue is visas. In 2021, France imposed visa restrictions for citizens of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. These restrictions have since been relatively lifted, but the issue will likely be discussed during Darmanin’s visit.
Darmanin is expected to meet with his Moroccan counterpart, Abdelouafi Laftit, and with the head of the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), Abdellatif Hammouchi.
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