Macron Admits Failure of French Visa Policy for North Africa, Seeks Reform

Emmanuel Macron has admitted the failure of the French visa policy towards Morocco and Algeria. This policy has led to a decline in the issuance of residence visas in France and "has deteriorated our reputation and image, without greatly improving our effectiveness. Nevertheless, that does not mean we should go towards laxity. We must have a policy of rigor, but one that allows us to intelligently condition and simplify our visa policy," he acknowledged on Monday, during his conference before the ambassadors.

The report by Paul Hermelin, transmitted to the Ministers of the Interior and Foreign Affairs in April 2023, had already established this failure of the visa policy, revealing an increase in the refusal rate which has gone from 10.7% in 2010 to around 17% in 2023. The French authorities had opted for a tightening of the policy in order to strengthen the control of migration flows, security, and effectively combat irregular immigration and visa trafficking, recalls Le Point. Unfortunately, the measure did not produce the expected results.

Moreover, the tightening of the visa policy has created more problems than it has solved. It has led to tension in relations with countries like Morocco and Algeria, a reduction in economic and cultural exchanges, and has favored the emergence of intermediary networks. Similarly, the reduction of staff in French consulates has led to an increase in the processing time of visa applications, which is constantly growing. Applicants sometimes have to wait up to ten weeks to get a simple appointment.

Faced with the phenomenon of intermediaries, which is growing "in countries with high migratory pressure, where the issuance of a visa represents a considerable stake," the Hermelin report recommends adopting an "appointment allocation" system in order to "secure the process". The document also notes an anomaly: 120 partnership agreements aimed at facilitating the issuance of visas have been signed with Algeria and none with Morocco. To change the situation, it recommends a restructuring of the network and a strengthening of the staff of the consulates.

While calling for strengthening controls, the report calls for a balancing of the three objectives: security, migration control and attractiveness, in order to facilitate the entry of "target audiences" (talents, entrepreneurs, etc.). In addition, France plans to implement a Schengen e-visa in 2026. A reform that will eliminate consular appointments and visa stickers; in short, to reduce fraud and strengthen security, and to achieve time and cost savings.