Visa quotas imposed on the Maghreb: the end of French blackmail?

France has restored its visa quotas issued to nationals of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, more than a year after announcing that it would restrict their number.

For Tunisia, the announcement had already been made several months ago. For Algeria and Morocco, the discussions have just ended. France has returned to the reduction in visa quotas granted to all Maghreb countries. At the origin of this decision, taken at the start of the 2021 academic year, a restriction on the issuance of visas in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, to punish the nationals of the latter, accused by Paris of not making sufficient efforts in terms of cooperation and the fight against illegal immigration. In other words, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia were accused by the French government of not cooperating when France decided to expel their nationals.

During a trip to Algeria, Emmanuel Macron and Abdelmadjid Tebboune had agreed to find a way out of the crisis as soon as possible. Regarding Morocco, the announcement of a presidential trip had allowed Rabat to hope that France would reconsider its decision. But Emmanuel Macron has still not traveled to the Cherifian kingdom and this stay should not be organized before the beginning of the year.

In the meantime, it is his Minister of the Interior who is in charge of the file. Gérald Darmanin notably went to Algiers. This Sunday, he indicated the return "to a normal consular relationship" with Algiers. The Algerian president spoke with the minister this Monday, December 12.

Macron's ministers open the field

What changed ? Tunisia, we remember, had seen its quotas return to normal after Tunis had lifted health restrictions to be able to enter its soil. Paris had promised to review its decision concerning the Maghreb countries according to the relaxation of health restrictions. But deep down, we knew that discussions on migration issues were a prerequisite.

And in addition to Algeria, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs went, for her part, to Morocco last Friday. Again, the purpose of the trip was to announce the end of the reduction in visa quotas. The head of French diplomacy assures that Emmanuel Macron wishes "to be in an exemplary partnership relationship with Morocco, an exceptional, fraternal and modern partnership". A way, above all, to prepare well for the trip of the president, who arrives in hostile territory to say the least.

"This allows France to continue to show its great willingness to cooperate following the exchanges that took place between President Tebboune and Macron," Darmanin told him. Admitting that “cooperation in terms of security, civil security” and “exchanges between the two countries” had allowed a return to normal.

To put pressure on Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian diplomacy, Paris had used the lever of visas and directly affected the populations of its countries. A paying blackmail, according to the decisions taken in recent days.