France Tightens Visa Restrictions for North African Countries Amid Deportation Dispute

"This is not a new policy, the President of the Republic has already done it two and a half years ago, towards certain Maghreb states. We were giving a few hundred thousand visas in 2019, there were a few tens of thousands in 2020, we have reduced a lot - it must be said that there was the Covid effect, the idea now is to do one out of two," the minister explained on RMC and BFMTV. According to his explanations, this policy is being implemented because some of the Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian compatriots who are on French soil are no longer accepted by these countries either because they are Islamists, delinquents or illegal immigrants.

"We tell them as long as you do not take back your compatriots, we do not accept your compatriots," summarized Gérald Darmanin. He also said that the decision to drastically reduce visas was made "a year ago" during a "meeting chaired" by the Head of State. Interior Ministry data shows that out of 7,731 orders to leave French territory (OQTF) issued to Algerians between January and July last, Algeria issued a consular laissez-passer to only 31 of them, and 23 were executed, which represents an execution rate of 0.2%. In Morocco, this rate is 2%, in Tunisia 4%.

"It is clear that the current situation is unacceptable, but we have to look at things in context: with Covid, we could no longer go out, there were no more planes, and it was enough for the person to refuse to do their PCR test to not leave," summarized Gérald Darmanin, adding that the countries do not want to go back to what was happening before Covid and that is why France is raising the tone.