Jacques Serais // Photo credit: Xose Bouzas / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP
8.50pm, 05 November 2024
This Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron received Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev on a state visit to Paris. While immigration is one of the main issues of the French government, France and Kazakhstan have signed an agreement “on the readmission” by the Central Asian country of its nationals expelled from France.
Towards a migration agreement with Kazakhstan? This Tuesday, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev met Emmanuel Macron during a state visit to Paris. During this meeting, the two heads of state discussed civil nuclear power, but not only that. This vast Central Asian country will be able to serve as a “hub” for some of the immigrants asked to leave France. But concretely, what does this agreement consist of?
Send Afghans back under OQTF to Kazakhstan?
It is supposed to allow the readmission of Kazakhstanis to their country, but not only that. This document also paves the way for the expulsion of third-country nationals, or stateless persons, to the capital Astana, as long as they have a Kazakh residence permit or if they have transited through Kazakhstan. So, this agreement does not say it explicitly, but one of its objectives is in particular to send Afghans under OQTF back to this country. A form of subcontracting insofar as France does not deport to Kabul, held by the Taliban.
Bruno Retailleau is also negotiating other similar agreements with Iraq and Egypt. In the meantime, an advisor to the executive welcomes this progress. This is “the first agreement of this type between France and a Central Asian country”. But all this is not without compensation. Faithful to the “at the same time” line, Emmanuel Macron pledged to support negotiations between Astana and the European Union to facilitate the issuance of visas for Kazakh nationals.
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