Moroccan Fined €1,600 in Germany After Presenting Photo of French Residence Permit
A coach trip between France and Germany ended in court for a 49-year-old Moroccan man. Stopped with a photograph of a French residence permit and a driving licence, he was fined 1,600 euros the following day.
On November 2, German federal police officers checked an international coach from France at the Pont de l’Europe crossing in Kehl, near Strasbourg. Among the passengers was a 49-year-old Moroccan national, who presented a photograph of a French residence permit and a driving licence issued in France. The officers found that he did not have the travel documents required to enter Germany.
According to the statement published Thursday, November 5, by the German federal police, the traveler was charged with attempting to enter the country irregularly. The authorities decided to bring the case before the courts quickly, notably because the man had no residential address in Germany.
Convicted the day after the check
The Offenburg public prosecutor’s office requested an expedited procedure, provided for under Articles 417 and following of the German Code of Criminal Procedure. This procedure makes it possible to try straightforward cases quickly when the facts are sufficiently established. It is used in particular for people with no fixed abode in Germany, who may be difficult to summon to a later hearing.
On November 3, the day after he was stopped, the court in Offenburg fined the Moroccan man 1,600 euros for attempting to enter the country irregularly.
The case is a reminder of the rules that apply to Moroccan nationals living in France. A valid French residence permit allows them to travel to other countries in the Schengen Area for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Travelers must carry their passport and valid residence permit, as also noted in an earlier article on the documents required at European borders.
On Bladi.net : Moroccan man waits 84 days for French return visa despite valid residence permit
After the court ruling, the Moroccan man was sent back to France by the German authorities. From his check at the Pont de l’Europe on November 2 to his conviction in Offenburg on November 3, the legal proceedings lasted less than two days.
