Belgian Consulate Denies Work Visas to Moroccan City Officials from Al Hoceima

This is a strange affair just revealed by a city councilor from the city of Al Hoceima. He said he had filed a special work visa application with the Belgian Consulate. He added that he even had an invitation from official Belgian authorities. But, as a response, he faced a refusal, without any explanation...

"Rue20" relays the words of one of these Councilors, named Fouad Benali: "In a previous case of the kind, the Belgian Consulate rejects the special work visa application files of two members of the Al Hoceima City Council, who were going to represent the Municipality in Brussels, as part of the cooperation agreement linking the municipality of Al Hoceima to the Belgian city of Schaerbeek and, at the invitation of the latter".

The Consulate would also have granted the visa to another member, but not to these. Does it choose the Councilors when the partnerships link the cities? Benali had started his remarks with these words: "From contempt to a taste of humiliation".

Fouad Benali ended his remarks by asking several questions: "Is this just a coincidence? A deliberate act? An internal score settling? A policy of making humiliated and bootlickers or what?"