Migratory issues and visas were at the heart of an unprecedented meeting between senior French and Moroccan officials this Friday at the Kingdom's embassy in Paris. Meeting of senior French and Moroccan officials at the Kingdom's embassy in Paris / Photo: Embassy On the sidelines of Morocco's biannual seminar for Consuls General, senior officials from the Interior and Foreign Affairs Ministries of both Morocco and France convened on Friday at the Chancellery. Organized at Morocco's invitation, this unprecedented and significant meeting focused on strengthening migration cooperation between the two countries. The French delegation included Simon Fetet, Director of Immigration at the Ministry of the Interior and co-chair of the Permanent Mixed Migration Group Morocco-France (GMMP); Mathilde Grammont, Diplomatic Advisor to the Minister of the Interior; Frédéric Rimoux, Deputy Ambassador for Migration at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs; and Delphine Montuelle, Head of the Removal Division at the Immigration Directorate. The Moroccan delegation was led by Khalid Zerouali, Director of Migration and Border Surveillance at the Ministry of the Interior and co-chair of the GMMP, along with Bouchta Fahli, Director of General Intelligence at the General Directorate of National Security; Fouad Kadmiri, Director of Consular and Social Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Samira Sitaïl, Ambassador of Morocco to France. Strengthening migration cooperation The meeting primarily focused on cooperation in readmission processes and the prevention of departures, as well as improving the issuance of consular laissez-passer (LPC) documents, which are essential for enforcing obligations to leave French territory (OQTF). At the end of the meeting, the French representatives engaged in a discussion with the 17 Consuls General of Morocco stationed in France. This two-hour session facilitated direct and meaningful exchanges, aimed at enhancing the migration cooperation framework between the two nations. Unprecedented meeting and direct dialogue of senior officials from the Ministries #French of the Interior and @francediplo with the 17 Consuls General of #Morocco ?? in #France ??, during a work seminar organized by the Embassy of #Morocco in #Paris. The exchanges allowed,… pic.twitter.com/XPD9VcXSLV — Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in France ?? (@AmbaMarocFrance) November 30, 2024 This initiative is part of the desire expressed by King Mohammed VI and President Emmanuel Macron during the State visit to Rabat last October. The two heads of state signed a Joint Declaration on the Strengthened Exceptional Partnership, aiming to build a comprehensive agenda on migration issues, including facilitating legal mobility, combating irregular migration, and strengthening coordination between countries of origin, transit, and destination. Mutual satisfaction and future prospects Both parties commended the quality of migration cooperation between Morocco and France, emphasizing the progress made in readmission indicators. They acknowledged the crucial roles played by prefects and Consuls General in advancing this strategy. The Moroccan side expressed appreciation for France's efforts to enhance legal mobility, particularly for students, and welcomed the positive trends in visa issuance rates. The discussion also prioritized protecting the rights of the Moroccan diaspora in France. France, in turn, lauded Morocco's contributions to managing migration flows and expressed gratitude for organizing the meeting. Both sides agreed to maintain direct communication to further improve their cooperation and planned an evaluation during the next GMMP meeting, set to take place in France in the first quarter of 2025. The GMMP, established in May 2018, began its journey with the first edition held in Marrakech, laying the foundation for a close and ongoing collaboration on migration matters between the two nations.
