France Faces Challenges in Visa Crackdown on North African Countries

France took this measure in the face of the refusal of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia to issue the laissez-passer necessary for the repatriation of their nationals expelled from France. Today, it acknowledges that the measure presents "difficulties", but assures that it will continue to "ensure as long as there is not more cooperation".

"This measure has allowed the resumption of diplomatic discussions at the highest level between France and the Maghreb countries," said government spokesman Gabriel Attal on Franceinfo. "We have started to get results with Tunisia, we have issued consular laissez-passer, several tens, even several hundreds since this announcement," he added, specifying that the situation remains "complicated" with Algeria and Morocco and that "diplomatic work continues".

"Our objective [...] is simply to enforce our migration rules. This means that people who are meant to be welcomed in France, because they are persecuted in their country, because they benefit from asylum, are fully integrated, but for people who are not meant to stay in France, they must be expelled and returned to their country of origin," insisted Gabriel Attal.

Numbering 43,000 people, Moroccans constitute the largest community of foreign students in France, ahead of the Chinese. In 2020, there were 11,300 of them. In addition, Moroccans obtained more than 98,000 entry visas to France in 2020, compared to 346,000 in 2019, according to data from the French Ministry of the Interior.