Immigration, key to the Franco-Moroccan crisis

November 26, 2023
ByNation World News Desk


Diplomatic relatons between France and Morocco have collapsed since the country of France decided to veto entry and reject visas for Moroccan citizens who want to enter Europe. Although France has denied the major issue and confirmed that immigration measures have been reduced, Moroccans continue to report unjustified rejections.

A new report from professor Mehdi Alioua and the French researcher Jeanne Noug highlights the importance of immigration in the Franco-Moroccan diplomatic crisis. While many analyzes point to the role of high-level politics and issues such as the Western Sahara file in the deterioration of relations, Visa restrictions imposed by France on Moroccans play a significant role according to a report published by the University of Oxford earlier this year.

The article explains that, although France has reduced the number of visas under the pretext of not cooperating with the repatriation of Moroccan citizens, the lack of cooperation in the North African country “is not as impressive as France.” Likewise, the researchers pointed out that the diplomatic withdrawal occurred in the context of the 2022 French presidential election. France’s right-wing parties place a great deal of emphasis on the discourse of security and immigration in French politics.
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They also argued that the ability to effectively repatriate migrants under the Obligation to Leave French Territory (OQTF) was seen as a justification for the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, “protect” France from the perceived threat of immigration.

The authors of the report noted that the events “may lead to a permanent state of exception” where populations are subjected to policies that are initially unique, but eventually become “routine and standardized” procedures. The publication explained that it does not exclusively affect immigration from the Alawite country, but is within the French immigration policies. Therefore, visa restrictions or border crossing difficulties affect everyone equally.
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The situation shows that the rights of movement are the key for many who have started to criticize the nature of the visa process. In addition to the visa crisis, relations between France and Morocco, historically close political and economic partners, have been affected by other political and social problems in recent years.

The most important of them is France’s ambiguous position on the Western Sahara conflict and, like other European countries, it emphasized that it neither recognized nor supported Morocco’s autonomy plans.

From the Moroccan Royal House it has been reported on different occasions that this issue is getting more and more weight in Morocco’s foreign policy. The recent French media and public reaction to the September 8 earthquake has further complicated the situation, with reports of Morocco rejecting French aid. For the authors of the report, these events lead to the question of whether the North African country “It can survive on its own without depending on its predecessor.”

Meanwhile, despite claims by French officials that the visa cuts are a thing of the past and that relations are back on track, Many Moroccans continue to report unfair visa denials and poor treatment at visa centers.