Morocco and France held an “unprecedented” meeting on Friday at the Chancellery in Paris as part of the biannual seminar for Moroccan Consuls General, according to Morocco’s Press Agency (MAP).
The meeting follows the joint declaration signed by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and France’s President Emmanuel Macron in October to enhance legal mobility, combat illegal immigration, and streamline readmission and departure procedures.
Discussions focused on cooperation regarding readmission and preventing departures, as well as enhancing the issuance of consular travel documents (LPCs), which are essential for enforcing France’s deportation orders (OQTF).
Senior officials from the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, including the co-chairs of the Permanent Joint Migration Group Morocco-France (GMMP), participated in the talks to review progress on migration processes between the two countries.
The GMMP had held a similar meeting on October 3 in Marrakech, further advancing Morocco-France migration cooperation. The French delegation also engaged in a two-hour exchange with Morocco’s 17 Consuls General across France, including those from Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and other cities with large Moroccan populations.
Both sides acknowledged progress in migration cooperation, highlighting improvements in travel visa readmissions, a key issue for Moroccans legally residing in France for work or education.
The Moroccan delegation commended France for reissuing student visas and protecting the rights of Morocco’s diaspora in France. The French officials acknowledged Morocco’s key role in managing migration flows and the improving quality of cooperation.
The meeting concluded with plans to assess progress at the next GMMP session, scheduled for early 2025 in France.
Established in May 2018, the GMMP remains a critical framework for advancing migration dialogue between the two countries.