صحافة بلادي صحيفة إلكترونية مغاربية متجددة على مدار الساعة تعنى بشؤون المغرب الجزائر ليبيا موريتانيا تونس
Paris –The issue of French visas granted to Algerians has returned to the forefront of political controversy in France, after French President Emmanuel Macron denied the existence of any plan to raise the number of visas to 250,000 visas annually, in a move that came after statements made by the French ambassador to Algeria, Stéphane Romatet, which sparked a wave of criticism within French political circles.
The French ambassador had stated that Paris was looking forward to returning the number of visas granted to Algerians to levels before the diplomatic crisis between the two countries, which was understood as a move to raise the annual quota to about 250,000 visas, before the French presidency was quick to deny the existence of any specific numerical goal in this file.
The French government spokeswoman confirmed, quoting President Macron, that France does not adopt advance quotas for granting visas, but rather studies each application separately in accordance with the applicable laws and the country’s needs, stressing that there is no “leniency” in the visa granting policy.
The French ambassador’s statements sparked a widespread debate within France, as a number of right-wing and far-right leaders attacked any trend towards expanding the granting of visas to Algerians, considering that this conflicts with the policy of tightening immigration, especially with the French presidential elections approaching.
This controversy comes months after the French ambassador returned to Algeria following a relative breakthrough in bilateral relations, which have witnessed severe tension since Paris announced its support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative as the most serious and realistic basis for settling the Moroccan Sahara issue.
Observers believe that the visa issue may turn into a new electoral card in France in the coming months, in light of the escalation of controversy over immigration issues and relations with Algeria, while at the same time Paris is trying to maintain the path of normalizing bilateral relations without making concessions in the sovereign files.
Source:“My press”
