French Embarrassment Because Of The Visa Policy That Excludes Algerians

The French policy of granting visas to Algerians and the rate of rejection of their files reaching 45%, which is the highest in the world, caused great embarrassment to Paris, after the National Assembly (Parliament) and the Senate (Sénat) demanded clarifications on this policy that must be changed and the justifications for rejecting files.

In the context, a French senator asked a question to the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (the Quai d’Orsay ) requesting clarification of the steps and procedures of the government that it intends to take, following the report of the National Assembly (Parliament), which revealed a great rejection of the visa applications for Algerians, and an official French intention to close the country’s doors to Algerian visa applicants.

On January 28, 2021, French Senator Pierre Charon, speaking on behalf of the Republicans, stated in written correspondence to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, which is checked out by Echorouk, that he draws the minister’s attention to the concerns and fears related to the findings of the National Assembly (Parliament) report on visa policy, and he regrets the high rates of visa refusal for Algerians, which reach 45%, while the global average of refusal is 16.3%.

According to the senator, the report’s findings show that there is a declared desire to close France’s doors to Algerian visa applicants, noting that the refusals and procedural difficulties faced by “some French visa applicants are seen as a form of humiliation”.

“The authors of the report suggested starting to think about improving the justifications for refusing visa applicants, given that the visa policy gives a place that is not commensurate with the risks of immigration at the expense of France’s attractiveness”, he added.

Pierre Charon explained that the authors of this report regretted the large increase in the prices required when filing visa files, given the standard of living in several African countries.

A parliamentary report by the French National Assembly revealed a few weeks ago that the rate of 45% representing France’s rejection to grant visas to Algerians are the highest among all nationalities in the world, and confirmed that there is an official French desire to close the country’s doors to Algerians, which is the topic that Echorouk published in the edition of January 30, 2021.

Previously, at the end of November 2020, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin detonated a bomb when he said that President Emmanuel Macron made a firm and strong decision to reduce Algeria’s quota of the French (Schengen) visas in 2019, to reduce the phenomenon of illegal immigration, which is the issue that was published by Echorouk on the edition of December 6, 2020.

Gérald Darmanin explained during a hearing by the Law Committee of the French Senate (Sénat) that during his visit to the three Maghreb countries (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia), he explained to the officials there that Paris would apply the principle of visa in exchange for obtaining consular licenses to return illegal immigrants and extremists to their countries, which are statements that included a clear tradeoff for these countries.