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Recent remarks by the new French Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, have raised questions in French and Moroccan policy circles, with many expressing perplexity over the minister’s criticism of what he described as Morocco’s reluctance to show reciprocity when it comes to consular services.
While France has been generous in issuing visas to Moroccans, the new minister claimed in a disparaging tone, Morocco’s consular services have not reciprocated the same level of generosity when their French counterparts request the issuance of emergency travel documents known as “laissez-passer.”
Retailleau’s statement garnered significant attention from both Moroccan and French media, with observers wondering about his reason for making such claims amid efforts to cement French-Moroccan ties in a wide range of areas.
“France issued 238,750 visas to Morocco but received only 725 laissez-passer,” French news outlet Le Monde quoted the French minister as saying.
“A laissez passer” is a travel permit that allows individuals to travel or pass through borders without needing a visa facilitating their movement in specific circumstances.
Both in Morocco and France, the timing of Retaillaeau’s statement raised eyebrows. The two countries have given signs that they are working towards stronger bilateral ties following several years of heightened tensions due to divergences on various dossiers.
Some of their divergences over the past years included delays in France’s consular services for issuing visas, unjustified rejections of Moroccan visa applications, and long waiting times to secure visa appointments, among others.
The minister’s comments also come just a few years after France decided to cut the number of visas granted to Moroccans by half.
It wasn’t until December 2022 that France announced the restoration of consular services in an effort to mend diplomatic ties with Rabat.
Despite this commitment, concerns persist among Moroccan citizens whose visa applications have been rejected or whose appointments have been delayed for months.
Data from Schengen Visa Info in 2022 indicated that the number of Moroccans who received visas from French consulates was 69,408 in 2021, compared to 98,627 in 2020.
Beyond consular services, it was only earlier this year that ties between Rabat and Paris began to improve significantly following the visit of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Stephane Sejourne – who reassured Morocco of its status as a strategic partner.
This positive trend was further emphasized by France’s historic decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara – a move perceived as a game-changer that effectively ended the statement between the two countries.
Amid the growing diplomatic ties and with confirmation that French president Emmanuel Macron will visit Morocco later this month, the new interior minister’s statement raises questions about any potential foreign policy shifts in Paris in the wake of the latest change of government.
Political remarks with no impact on ties
Observers view the statement as little more than a political statement from the minister, suggesting it is unlikely to impact France’s broader strategy to strengthen bilateral ties with a country it has repeatedly described as an important and “very strategic ally.”
Zaher Badr Alazrak, a political analyst and professor at the Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences in Mohammedia, told Morocco World News (MWN) that context matters when interpreting the French minister’s comments.
“I consider these statements to be more political than reflective of the reality on the ground.
I believe that Morocco and France have moved beyond the challenges related to visa issues and immigration,” the political analyst said.
The new government cannot bypass the commitments made by prior administrations and Macron, who seeks closer ties with Rabat, he argued, stressing: “I categorize these statements as political because France’s positions have been clarified practically particularly France’s position on Morocco’s territorial integrity.”
Hassan Belouan, also a political analyst and expert in international relations, agreed. Even the recent, years-long, and much more serious crisis between Paris and Rabat did not “lead to a complete rupture thanks to the deep historical, political and diplomatic ties between the two countries,” he recalled.
That means these eyebrow-raising comments from a newly appointed minister are unlikely to impact the strong ties between Rabat and Paris, he told MWN, arguing that the statements are “politically motivated to appease the right-wing factions.”
The analyst cited three reasons why such remarks cannot affect ties between the two countries, including France’s recent Western Sahara position as well as the long-standing Paris-Rabat relations sustained by shared political, diplomatic and economic interests.‘
