France Authorities: No More 'Easy' Visa for Moroccans, Algerians and Tunisians

France has tightened visa rules for Maghreb nationals over immigration policy. According to the Republic World Website, French President Emmanuel Macron has decided to halve the number of visas issued to Algerian and Moroccan nationals and by 30% for Tunisians, taking 2020 as the reference year, Europe1 reported earlier.

The French state's relationship with North African immigration especially Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria is a bit complex. Migration from France’s former colonies in the Maghreb into the French metropole has affected myriad aspects of the French political calculus and this decision comes as a “punishment” for these countries as they refused to cooperate with France to take back illegal migrants. This decision will highly affect the Youth’s dream to live and settle in Europe.

 

No More Easy-Visa

France has decided to tighten the visa requirement process for Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian nationals in response to lack of support by these countries.

France will slash the number of visas available to nationals from Maghreb countries because of their governments' refusal to take back illegal migrants sent home by the French authorities, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Tuesday in an interview for Radio Europe 1.

This means that France will now grant fewer visas than before for the nationals of these three countries, as the authorities of the same are refusing to take back their nationals who are illegally residing in France after being denied asylum, according to Schengen Visa Info News. 

In the same interview, the spokesperson of the French Government said that the country had adopted a law on emigration rules since 2018. This was intended to bring more efficient rules regarding the migration policy.

According to him, the law set out rules for those who are welcomed in France through the asylum conditions, and they should integrate into the community. However, the ones who do not intend to stay in the French territory should be escorted at the border.

 

The French Dream 

Since their independence, thousands of Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria nationals are living in France. However, thousands of them are staying there illegally since their origin countries refuse to issue them a so-called consular pass, which would allow the French authorities to send illegal migrants back to their origin country. Despite these new decisions, Millions of Maghreb countries continue to flow.

France had occupied Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria for many years. This leads to the adoption of French culture and language by these countries. Actually, Paris represents the French dream for the Maghreb Youth as many of them have never come back to their homes. 

They weren’t fleeing the political chaos in their homeland; they were looking for economic opportunities in a land far richer than theirs. 

The number of Tunisians living now in France is nearly more than one million whereas according to the African Press Agency, 1.25 million Moroccans live there; more than half of them residing in France are women. 

Moreover, 3,879 Moroccan women with a higher education level have chosen to stay in France according to French statistics.

The same thing is for Algerians as the largest concentration of Algerians outside of the country are in France, with more than 1.7 million Algerians. Algeria is the second-largest French-speaking country in the world in terms of the number of speakers. An estimated 11 million Algerians read and write in French.

 

‘Not French Enough’

Becoming an immigrant means assuming a composite identity. But what happens in France, is that the new culture the migrant embodies sees itself as superior to his original one. In fact, the integration in French culture is becoming more difficult than previous years as the number of migrants is becoming higher. Accordingly, the feeling of the French People about refusing the other is also growing. 

Despite the French Revolution legacy that forms the bulwark of national identity today: the slogan of liberty, equality and fraternity. This identity was not complete, being Arab in France streets means being enemy. French People are not open like everyone thinks, especially with the peoples that were one day slaves for them. 

Amine Jrad, a mechanical engineer, lived in France 5 years ago. He briefly told Al-Estiklal about his new experience there. According to him, France is not paradise. “Coming to France, he said, is the dream of every young Arab. France means tall buildings, luxury cars and luxury clothes.”

“You work hard, you respect everyone, you are a good man, you have legal papers, you make a lot of money, but you still feel this hatred in the French’s eyes.”

Not all French people are bad, I have many friends and they really love me, but you are always ‘the other’ for them and you are not French enough,” added Amine.