Maghreb Edition

Moroccans protest “humiliating” visa issuance policy at Rabat EU’s officeF

Posted On 4 October 2022

Number of times this article was read : 817
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Dozens of Moroccans demonstrated outside the European Union’s office in Rabat on Tuesday in protest at “racist” and “humiliating” treatment over visa applications, particularly by former colonial ruler France. “We’re here to express our anger at the humiliation, arrogance and racism endured by many of our compatriots whose visa requests have been rejected by EU states,” said Aziz Ghali, one of the organisers and head of the AMDH rights group. Ghali accused EU states of limiting the number of visas issued and rejecting applicants despite the fact they met the criteria. “Depriving visas is discriminatory and racist,” one placard read. Protesters also criticised policies such as refusing to justify rejections or refund processing fees.

Following a call by the AMDH and the LMDDH rights group, around 50 people attended the protest, many chanting: “Yes to freedom of movement, no to colonial agreements!” Schengen visas issued to non-EU citizens allow the holder to travel freely among 26 EU countries. AMDH activist Khadija Ryadi said Moroccan applicants for the visas faced “unacceptable and unjustified” rejections, despite having legitimate reasons to travel to EU countries, “particularly France”.

In 2021, France decided to halve the number of visas it issues to Moroccans and Algerians, citing those countries’ reluctance to repatriate their citizens living clandestinely in France. The decision has sparked ongoing public anger in both countries and tensions between Paris and their governments. A French official however accused Moroccan media and social media users of exaggerating the rate of rejected applications, insisting that the number of student visas issued in 2022 was similar to that of last year.

AFP

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The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.