Senior Officials Used Visa For Treatment In French Hospitals As A Way To Illegal Immigration

Officials in the French embassy in Algeria revealed that senior Algerian officials (dignitaries) faced the cancellation of their visas after it was found out that they were seeking visas for treatment for illegal immigration in France and to avoid paying up the treatment cost that may even reach 10,000 euros, while the number of people who stayed in France illegally last year reached 10,1002 people, and 10,000 others were deported at the French border crossings.

French Ambassador to Algeria, Xavier Driencourt, said at the press conference that coincided with the launch of the French visa application center in the capital Algiers (VFS Global):
“The authorities of my country was forced to cancel visas for the movement of type” C” of senior Algerian officials.”

The French diplomat added that these officials were summoned to the consulate to cancel their travel visas, as they went to France on a visa, according to a file such as tourism, but then turned to treatment in French hospitals without payment of debts, which sometimes range from 5000 to 10.000 euros.

After the press conference, Echorouk approached the French General-Consul in Algeria, Eric Gérard, who explained that the matter involved senior officials who are considered to be dignitaries, because they obtained tourist visas or transit visas, but on French soil they dispensed documents and medication in hospitals as part of the measures that taken for people in need and illegal immigrants.

The French ambassador said that there are 10.062 Algerians who are living in illegal situation in France in 2017, because of the bad and incomplete files of the visa that was presented and the lack of respect for the deadlines of their presence on the French soil, with an increase of 31.5% compared to 2016.

“Algerian citizens came in the first row” he said, referring to the illegal immigrants who were counted in 2017.

The same French diplomat disclosed that 10.000 Algerians were deported at the French border crossings (by border police), especially airports because of the absence of documents to justify travelling to France (financial resources, hotel reservations, etc.).

As for the percentage of rejected applications for Algerian visa applicants, Ambassador Driencourt explained that in 2017, it reached 37% of the total number of requests which number was 650,000, granting 413,000 visas to Algerians.

Asked about the shortening of the validity of the C-type travel visa, the French General Consul to Algeria, Eric Gérard, said there was no shortening, but the principle of reciprocity with Algeria, which applies two years of this type of visa.

The French official also said that the procedure for professional groups’visa application is still in force and that the visa applicant can choose when he or she is registering on the Visa France website.