France Expands Visa Services to Southern Regions of Morocco

The government of France has expanded its consular services to southern Morocco, in particular for people living in Dakhla, Laayoune, and Es-Semara.

A source confirmed to Morocco World News (MNW) that France’s visa centre TLS Contact will begin operating in Laayoune beginning in May, in spite of the fact that no further details were provided, Schengen.News reports. 

It means that the region will now have access to services offered by the TLC centre, which handles visa applications for France, as also confirmed by Le360. 

The new decision is expected to make the visa process less costly for applicants in the south.

New Visa Centre in Casablanca Can Serve About 1,200 People Daily 
According to a report from Morocco World News, the new visa centre in Casablanca can offer services of 800 to 1,200 visitors daily. It offers improved services, taking also into account longer hours, and at-home document collection. 

The French Ambassador Christophe Lecourtier said that visa applicants have legitimate and increasing expectations that must be met in order to address the challenges between Morocco and France, while welcoming the recent decision.

Moroccan Foreign Minister Visit to Paris to Strengthen Bilateral Ties 
The announcement came days after the Foreign Minister of Morocco, Nasser Bourita, visited France. 

Soon after Bourita’s statement, the government of France published a statement confirming its unchanged position related to Western Sahara. 

Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, visited France on April 14 for a working trip, upon the invitation of France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot 

In another development, yesterday, April 16, the Interior Minister of France, Bruno Retailleau, met in Rabat with his counterpart from Morocco, Abdelouafi Lafit, during which both ministers talked about migration cooperation, among others. 

The visit of the French minister was considered a way to further strengthen cooperation between these two countries.

Source: https://schengenvisainfo.com/news/france-expands-visa-services-to-southern-regions-of-morocco/