After restrictions which caused a consular crisis between Morocco and France, the French embassy in Morocco has just facilitated the process of obtaining a Schengen visa for Moroccan graduates from French establishments.
Consular tensions between France and Morocco are relatively beginning to ease. Indeed, the French embassy in Morocco has just announced a new simplified visa application procedure for Moroccan graduates from French higher education establishments.
This initiative, unveiled by Sandrine Lelong-Motta, consul general of France in Rabat, aims to facilitate visa applications for Moroccans holding a master’s degree, an engineering diploma or a higher qualification such as a Ph.D.
To be eligible, candidates must register on the France Alumni platform. Although the new system does not guarantee automatic obtaining of a visa, it at least promises a more rational and attentive approach. The consul general even emphasized “generosity” in the processing of files.
A specific treatment
Thus, graduates will benefit from dedicated appointment slots and accelerated processing, provided that their file is complete. Successful candidates will be able to receive a Schengen circulation visa with a validity period of between one and five years, allowing multiple entries into France and other Schengen area countries.
Note that in recent years, Moroccan nationals have had their Schengen visa applications refused without valid reason, since geopolitical tensions between the two countries, which resulted in a drastic reduction in visas granted to Moroccans. Restrictions which have given rise to an unprecedented phenomenon, that of intermediaries for obtaining appointments.
As a reminder, in 2023, Morocco ranked second among African countries which recorded the highest number of Schengen visa refusals, with 136,367 refusals which cost applicants approximately 117 million dirhams (or 10.9 million dirhams). ‘euros). High refusal rates, mainly from France and Spain, have infuriated applicants, particularly those who were accustomed to getting them after France halved the number of visas approved for Moroccan citizens in 2021.
And this, for the reason that the Kingdom refuses to welcome Moroccans who reside illegally in France. After almost three years of controversy over visa rejections, France announced, at the end of 2023, the lifting of restrictions imposed on Moroccan nationals. The new visa procedure is designed to address these challenges by providing Moroccan graduates with a more accessible and efficient application process.
Maryem Ouazzani / ECO Inspirations
