Rabat – The Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights sent a letter to the UN’s Human Rights committee on Sunday, September 25, demanding intervention regarding the visa restrictions France is imposing on hopeful Moroccan travelers.
The league called the restrictions a human rights violation, citing article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which guarantee freedom of movement.
“After verifying that the French Embassy in Morocco rejected thousands of visa requests for no reason, using political excuses that are not relevant to Moroccans, the Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights reached out to the UN’s Human Rights Committee,” a statement from the league says.
The league demanded that the French Presidency be alerted to the severity of this rights violation. The league also requested that the UN demand that France walk back the restrictions and give Moroccans the right to obtain visas in accordance with international law.
In late 2021, France put in place restrictions over the issuing of visas to the citizens of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. France alleges that the governments of those countries have been refusing to take back deported immigrants.
In response, Morocco described the decision as unjustified, claiming that it has always taken back deported immigrants. Since then, France has lifted the restrictions from Tunisia and Algeria, but they remain in place for Morocco.
The visa restrictions are one symptom of tense relations between the two countries. France has also continued to have a somewhat vague stance regarding the Sahara dispute, while Morocco has been moving towards varying its international partnerships outside of the Francophone world.
Read also: France’s Ambassador to Morocco Ends Tenure Amid Stagnant Relations
During his speech on the Anniversary of Revolution of King and People in 2022, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI highlighted the Sahara dispute specifically, calling on all of Morocco’s partners to make their stances on the subject clear.
