In late September 2021, Paris tightened visa requirements for Moroccans, Algerians, and Tunisians due to an alleged lack of cooperation in issuing the consular clearances needed to repatriate migrants expelled from France.
France intends to lift visa restrictions for Moroccan nationals, European country foreign minister Catherine Colonna said, following talks on Friday with Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita in Rabat.
“We've taken measures with our Moroccan partners to re-establish a consular relationship,” Colonna said after her two-day trip to the North African kingdom, adding that the two countries are ready to “write a new page together” after more. More than a year of tensions.
As for whether Paris received anything in exchange for this step, the head of the diplomacy in the Kingdom indicated that the French government’s decision to cancel visa restrictions on Moroccans was unilateral, just like the initial decision to impose these restrictions.
Last year, France tightened visa requirements for nationals of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, arguing that the three North African countries did not cooperate in issuing the necessary consular permits to return their citizens expelled from France.
The number of visas granted to nationals of the three Maghreb countries decreased by half compared to the previous year. After the visa ban, relations between Paris and Rabat worsened, with the latter claiming the move was "unjustified".
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