Return to "normal" for visas issued to Algerians: a turning point in the diplomatic relationship?

Jacques Serais 07:30, December 19, 2022

Could this be a turning point in the diplomatic relationship between France and the Maghreb countries?

After Tunisia at the end of August and Morocco last Friday, Paris announced this weekend a return to normal for the granting of visas to Algerian nationals.

As a reminder, last year the French authorities had halved the number of visas granted to Algiers and Marrakech.

>> Find Europe Matin in replay and podcast here

In 2021, France had decided to restrict the issuance of visas

The end of the estrangement, all is forgiven.

In the middle of the World Cup final weekend, France changed hands in the diplomatic match between Morocco and Algeria.

No more pressure on visas: for a year, Paris had reduced their number by 50% in order to push Algiers and Marrakech to accept to welcome their nationals expelled from France. 

A point of friction which can be explained by the figures of the Ministry of the Interior: between January and July 2021, Paris had requested nearly 600 consular passes from Algeria but Algiers had only issued 31, i.e. only 5%. 

>> READ ALSO

- Algeria: what results for Emmanuel Macron's visit there?

Since Emmanuel Macron or Élisabeth Borne have been there in recent months.

And if Algeria has made no official declaration on this question, nor made any concrete commitment in terms of figures, France wants according to Gérald Darmanin "to continue to show its great desire for cooperation".

It remains to be seen whether this step taken by France will be followed by the figures in the next OQT statements, while Emmanuel Macron has planned to go to Morocco in the first quarter of 2023.