The first four countries, which benefit the most from French visas, remain Morocco, Russia, Algeria and China, which monopolize 43%, the same source said. According to the data revealed by the ministry of Gerald Darmanin, itis in the top 5 of the three Maghreb countries, namely Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, specifying that 69,408 visas were issued to Moroccans, down -29.6 compared to 2020, followed by Algerians and Tunisians with 63,649 and 46,070 visas respectively, down -13.16% and -6.9%.
On the African scale, Egyptians come in 4th position with 21,532 visas granted, up 50.4% compared to 2020, while in sub-Saharan Africa, Ivorians are the first beneficiaries with 19,928 visas following a increase of 108.8%.
Indeed, Morocco was also the first country of origin of French naturalized people in 2020. “As in previous years, the countries of origin most concerned by the acquisition of French nationality under the Ministry of the Interior are Morocco”, underlined the same document. The latter noted that Morocco takes the lead with 8103 nationals who have become French”.
Regarding residence permits, 219,302 were issued in “first-time issuance” in 2020, down 20.9% compared to 2019. This change reflects the effects of the pandemic on applications for and issuance of permits. “Moroccan and Algerian nationals remain the most numerous among the beneficiaries of first residence permits in France, with a drop that is significantly lower than that of the whole (respectively -14.1% and -12.9%)”, added the report. , noting that “Tunisians keep third place but experience a drop closer to the average (-21.6%)”.
For the year 2021, the definitive data are still not published, but it turns out, according to a first estimate, that the number of first residence permits issued is increasing compared to 2020, to approach the levels of before the crisis or even exceed them in the case of issuances for humanitarian reasons.
It should be recalled that the French government has decided to reduce the number of visas granted to Morocco and Algeria by 50% and to Tunisia by 30%, compared to 2020, the year of the health crisis. The announcement was made by French government spokesman Gabriel Attal, who said that “it is certainly a drastic decision, but it is a decision made necessary by the fact that these countries do not accept to take back nationals that we do not wish to keep in France”.
