The Ivorian government has announced the reintroduction of visa requirements for Ivorian citizens holding ordinary passports traveling to Morocco, to take effect on September 1, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cote d’Ivoire.
The two-year experimental policy follows extensive consultations with Moroccan authorities to address the misuse of Ivorian passports by sub-Saharan migrants seeking to cross into Europe via Morocco.
Investigations revealed that a significant number of migrants previously recorded as Ivorian nationals were, in fact, from other countries.
“For instance, of the 14,800 migrants who arrived in Lampedusa claiming to be Ivorian nationals, only a few dozen were found to be genuine Ivorian citizens,” the statement read.
The Ministry explained that the Ivorian government seeks “to impede the operations of organized networks engaged in the fraudulent production of passports and counterfeit stamps, thereby enhancing the security and credibility of Ivorian passports.”
The temporary Visa policy does not apply to Moroccan citizens traveling to Côte d’Ivoire, holders of Ivorian diplomatic or service passports, Moroccan residence permit holders, or Ivorian citizens with Schengen, UAE, US, or Canadian visas.
The policy will be re-evaluated after one year.