France to reduce visas granted to north African countries
France says it will limit the number of visas issued to north African countries such as Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco for refusing to take back refugees.
CAPE TOWN, November 18 (ANA) – France says it will limit the number of visas issued to north African countries such as Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco for refusing to take back refugees.
According to a report on the Schengen visa website, France’s plan for a “targeted” reduction in the number of visas for the majority of north African countries has been revealed by the secretary of state for European affairs, Clément Beaune.
With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of refugees fleeing to Europe from north Africa to escape war and poverty has escalated dramatically.
Many refugees end up being shunned by their community when they return for failing to reach Europe.
According to the Institute for Security Studies, Europe has moved away from a “crisis” response to one focused on sending refugees who do not have legal rights to remain to their countries of origin or transit.
During a recent visit to Maghreb countries, French Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin presented these countries a list of nationals in an irregular situation and suspected of radicalisation, whom France wishes to expel, according to the Schengen visa website.
According to reports, there are 231 internationals who remain illegally in the country who are suspected of radicalisation.
The Schengen visa website notes that among them are Tunisian citizens along with Moroccans and Algerians.
Algerian authorities hit back, claiming that the list includes names of Algerians who were born in France, but their parents are of Algerian origin, thus insisting that this is not an issue of illegal migration, say reports.
Meanwhile, a recent Euronews investigation revealed that the European Union’s voluntary return scheme is failing the desperate.
The scheme, which entails providing financial assistance to refugees voluntarily returning to their country of origin, is considered to be the EU’s flagship response to the refugee crisis.
Although the ultimate objective is to provide refugees with the means to establish economic activity in their home country, to ensure that their return is sustainable, the exercise according to refugees who eventually return home leaves them in a worse position than when they entered Europe.
According to the European Commission, in some cases the money refugees receive is used to fund another attempt to reach Europe.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher
