Xavier driencourt to Echorouk: French Embassy to lift students’ visas up to 5000 annually

Algiers (16/01/2012)-Number of Visas for Algeria students is raised to the limits of 5000 annually, starting of the next university season 2012-2013, the French Ambassador to Algiers Xavier Driancourt told Echorouk.

The French ambassador added, on the sidelines of a press conference at the French Cultural Center, currently named the French-Algerian Institute that the embassy decided to raise the number of visas for the students wishing to continue their studies in the various French universities and institutes, starting from the school season 2012-2013.

The spokesman asserted that the number of students’ visas which were granted for Algerian students last year reached 483, and 78% out of 100 visa applicants received agreement compared to last year, bringing the number of Algerian students who study in French universities and institutes to 20.000 students and 270 researchers.

The French ambassador explained that the French universities signed 600 conventions with Algerian universities in the framework of development the education sector between the two countries.

Xavier Driencourt added, on the occasion of converting the French cultural centers in Algeria across six towns including respectively, Algiers, Constantine, Annaba, Oran, Telemcen and Tizi Ouzou, after integrating them into one institute called the Franco-Algerian Institute, from the current January.

The French ambassador to Algiers refused to make any statements about the decision taken by the French Interior Ministry on the publication of a new decree about the work of foreign students in France, and which be applied only on students with high qualifications, a decree that would offset what is known as note of “Guyon” issued on May 31, which raised a controversy because it prevented foreign students from working in France after graduation and forced them to return back to their countries, thing which led out many of them to protest against this law.