Morocco: France’s decision to tighten visa requirements ”unjustified”

Morocco considers France’s decision to tighten visa requirements for its citizens “unjustified,” according to a statement from the Moroccan Foreign Ministry.

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said Tuesday during a press conference in Rabat that Morocco “takes note of this decision, which we consider unjustified.”

“Rabat will follow up closely with the French authorities,” he added.

France imposed stringent visa requirements on citizens of Maghreb countries, including Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, in an unprecedented decision

French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said that the decision came in response to the “refusal” of the three countries to issue the necessary consular permits to take back immigrants from their countries of origin that Paris wants to repatriate.

In statements on Europe 1 radio, Gabriel described the French decision as “radical and unprecedented, but it was necessary because these countries do not accept the return of citizens we do not want and we cannot keep them in France.”

He said the three countries’ positions “slow the effectiveness” of deportations from French territory when decisions are made.