Measure is intended to encourage Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia to take back migrants.
Because it is practically impossible to deport Algerians, Moroccans and Tunisians irregularly residing in France to their home countries, the French government is now using a means that has been official EU policy since the reform of the Visa Code: Algeria and Morocco get for the current second half of the year Only half as many visas were issued in 2021 as in the first half of 2020, Tunisia by 30 percent fewer.
Virtually without exception, the three North African states refuse to take back their citizens who are legally deported from France. So far this year 22 Algerians, 80 Moroccans and 131 Tunisians have been repatriated from France, “Le Figaro” quotes the official statistics. However, 7731 Algerians, 3301 Moroccans and 3424 Tunisians had received official orders to leave the country.
This sanction is intended to encourage the three governments to issue significantly more travel documents at their consulates in France that their deported citizens, who are often traveling without documents, need in order to be able to be deported from France. Since the reform of the EU Visa Code two years ago, this sanction has been anchored as a possible means across the Union. So far, however, it has not been successful, as both a special report by the European Court of Auditors two weeks ago and the evaluation of the cooperation with third countries on the return by the European Commission in February noted.