France-Morocco Visa Agreement Sparks Concerns Over Medical Brain Drain

Towards the amplification of the problem of medical deserts in Morocco? This is what some Moroccan observers fear after the announcement by the French embassy in Morocco of the first partnership agreement on visas signed between the French Consulate General in Rabat and the National Council of the Order of Physicians (CNOM) on March 25, 2024 to promote mobility between Rabat and Paris. Fears that would be justified, because it is only visas intended to allow Moroccan doctors to participate in specific events and carry out internships. The French government’s ambition to recruit more practitioners (more than 5,000 doctors) in non-European Union (EU) countries, including Morocco, tends to reinforce the position of observers.

"This convention will facilitate for students the realization of internships and encourage them to go study medicine in France. It will also encourage doctors to go practice in France, especially after the recent announcement by Gabriel Attal on this subject. [...] If this is true, it is not normal. It’s as if they are facilitating their immigration," denounces one of the doctors contacted by Médias24. Other voices try to cut short the controversy around this agreement. "It is simply a controversy. To go work in France as a doctor, there is a specific circuit to follow. You also need a medical degree and your specialty in particular. Moreover, doctors could well choose other countries such as Germany or Portugal for example, and not just France," explained a source within the Regional Council of the Order of Physicians of Casablanca-Settat, adding that "for the moment it is only an announcement" and that "the agreement has not yet been implemented."

"This is not a work or employment visa. It is a Schengen visa for a first entry into France for participation in scientific events," insist sources close to the file, specifying that the idea of this agreement is "to facilitate for doctors the obtaining of appointments for participation in congresses or for the realization of internships." Another source from the Regional Council of the Order of Physicians of Casablanca-Settat justifies: "After the decision of France to reduce the number of visas granted to Moroccans, "doctors have encountered, in recent years, a lot of difficulties to participate in congresses and scientific events. They therefore find themselves blocked. This is actually an issue that we have been trying to resolve with France for several years, even before the Covid-19 pandemic."

The same sources close to the file will specify that a "very significant daily quota of visa appointments will thus be granted to doctors, that a counter will specifically deal with the processing of files from professional orders, including that of doctors from Morocco, and the processing of files will be faster." And to add: "The Council has also negotiated a possibility of extension of the quota granted in case of a rush, when there will be congresses where several specialties will have to attend at the same time."