Moroccan Immigration to France Tops 600,000 as North African Numbers Rise

Doha – Official French data shows Moroccan nationals now hold 603,482 valid residence permits in France, marking a 2.7% increase in 2023, amid broader discussions about immigration from North Africa.

Le Point magazine’s comprehensive analysis of official statistics from the French Ministry of Interior and INSEE reveals that among the four million third-country nationals holding residence permits in France, North African countries account for 38.5% of all permit holders, with “four titles out of ten concerning a Maghrebi.”

Morocco leads in several immigration categories, with 11.7% of all immigrants in France being Moroccan-born.

The data shows Morocco’s leading status across multiple immigration categories. In economic immigration, 10,801 Moroccans received permits in 2023, despite showing a 13.9% decrease.

For family-based immigration, which comprises 30.1% of total immigration, Moroccan nationals received 12,052 permits.

Notably, Morocco dominates student immigration with 12,299 permits issued in 2023, securing the top position in this category.

Visa applications from Morocco reached 241,544 in 2023, as part of the total 2.9 million applications processed by French authorities.

The magazine notes that Morocco ranks among the countries with the highest Schengen visa refusal rates in 2022, second only to India in rejection numbers.

The total immigrant population in France now stands at 7.3 million, representing 10.7% of the French population, with 47.7% of all immigrants born in Africa. North African countries contribute largely to these numbers.

Algeria accounts for 12.2% of all immigrants in France, with 646,462 valid residence permits (up 3%), while Tunisia represents 4.8% of immigrants, holding 289,942 permits (up 5.2%).

For comparison, Ukrainian refugees hold just 84,131 valid permits and provisional stay documents.

The data emerges amid heightened political discourse, following Prime Minister François Bayrou’s controversial comments about French citizens’ “feeling of submersion” regarding immigration, which sparked debate between political factions.

As quoted in the report, this discussion has revealed a “persistent unthought, the inability to name things, the French follies that offer a funny image of the Gauls abroad.”

The report notes that diplomatic tensions between North African countries have hindered regional dialogue on immigration matters, forcing bilateral rather than multilateral negotiations with European nations.

Special attention is drawn to the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement, which exclusively governs entry and exit conditions for Algerian nationals. Under this agreement, 31,439 residence certificates were issued to Algerians in 2023, showing a 22.8% increase.

A recent Ifop-Fiducial poll from January complements these statistics, showing that 68% of French respondents hold a favorable view of Morocco, while supporting the country’s position on various diplomatic issues.