Rabat – In the midst of an intense political crisis between Rabat and Paris, French ambassador to Morocco Christophe Lecourtier reiterated that his country’s consular ties with Morocco have been restored.

“The decisions that were taken in mid-December, that is to say a return to normal in terms of issuance for Moroccan nationals, are well implemented,” Lecourtier said in a video published by the French embassy in Morocco.

The French ambassador, who made his message during a visit to the TLS center in Rabat, also claimed that applicants are “treated in the best way both in terms of reception and speed of visa delivery.”

The French ambassador’s visit to TLS also came after TLS contact was mired in controversy  for violating regulations related to the protection of individuals’ personal data.

Many took to social networks to respond to the ambassador’s claims.

“This is totally wrong, appointments are blocked in Casa. It’s shameful,” one Twitter user wrote.

Another one responded to the ambassador, saying that the TLS website “sucks.”

The ambassador’s remarks come amid continuous backlash due to delayed visa appointments as well as frequent rejection of applications, for Moroccans traveling to France.

France put tight restrictions on visas for Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian nationals in September 2021.

The French government cut the number of visas granted to Moroccans by 50%, causing uproar and frustration among the applicants.

As a justification for its action towards Morocco, France claimed that Rabat was “reluctant” to extradite Moroccan citizens who were illegally residing in France. 

This created diplomatic strains on relations between the two countries as France claimed its visa decision was “justified.” 
In mid-December, France took an abrupt decision to alleviate its measure of visa release during the visit of French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna.

During her visit, Colonna announced the end of the consular row between the two countries and stressed the importance of Morocco as an “important” ally for France.

Rising tensions

In addition to the TLS and visa controversies,  the comments made by Lecourtier come during a period of tense diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Some political observers suggest that MEPs close to Emmanuel Macron have recommended the recently adopted hostile resolution against Morocco on January 19 by the European Parliament.

Particularly, the resolution accused Morocco of “harassing” and “intimidating” journalists and activists.

Denouncing the European Parliament resolution’s interference in Morocco’s  internal affairs,  President of the Moroccan-European Union (EU) joint parliamentary committee Lahcen Haddad said that some in France are “annoyed” at the diplomatic and security gains that Morocco achieved recently.

The politician also described the resolution as a decision that “denotes a renewed neo-colonial desire that despises the countries of the South and their ability to defend human rights.”