France will be cutting the number of visas granted for three North African nations after it was revealed that hardly any illegals from the three countries were deported this year.
The French government is set to reduce the number of newly granted visas to Morocco and Algeria by 50 per cent and Tunisia by 30 per cent as the three countries have largely refused to take back their nationals who are living in France illegally.
In the case of Algeria alone, broadcaster Europe1 reports that of the 7,731 of the country’s nationals eligible for deportation between January and July of this year, just 22 were sent back, around 0.2 per cent overall.
According to the broadcaster, Algeria, in particular, refuses to grant an emergency passport, or laissez-passer, to their nationals, which has prevented deportations.
Meanwhile, the number of visas granted for Algerians stood at 8,726, massively down from the 274,555 requested prior to the coronavirus pandemic in 2019.
The figures for Morocco are not much better with just 80 Moroccan migrants being deported earlier this year out of a total of 3,301 who had an obligation to leave French territory (just 2.4 per cent).
Tunisia, which saw the highest number of deportations, had 131 nationals returned out of 3,424 who were eligible (four per cent).
According to Europe1, the French government has made numerous attempts to increase deportations to the three North African countries, including political dialogue and making aid conditional on deportation numbers, but has finally decided to reduce the number of visas that will be granted.
In June, President Emmanuel Macron ordered his ministers to do more to ensure that radicalised illegal immigrants were being deported to their home countries.
At least 1,000 illegals are on France’s Terrorist Radicalisation Prevention Report Index (FSRPT) anti-terrorism watchlist, according to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
Deportations have been made even more difficult by the coronavirus pandemic as some migrants have refused covid tests in order to prevent deportation.