Germany Halts Schengen Visas for Moroccans Amid Diplomatic Tensions

The reception of Schengen visa applications is suspended except for certain categories, and this until further notice, can be read on the website of the German embassy. This decision sounds like a diplomatic response to Morocco.

On Monday, Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad, sent an official letter to the Head of Government and other members of the government calling on them to suspend all contact with "the German Embassy in Morocco" "due to deep misunderstandings with the Federal Republic of Germany on the fundamental issues of the Kingdom of Morocco".

Morocco’s decision is explained, among other things, by Germany’s position on the Sahara, its interference in Morocco’s internal affairs and the exclusion of Rabat from negotiations on the future of Libya during a conference organized in Berlin in January 2020.