Important academic and intellectual figures in Tunisia have expressed concerns regarding the French government’s decision to reject visas for Tunisian students. The International Conference on Electronic Circuits and Systems (ICECS) will be held in Nancy, France, and will gather students from the field in the city of France.
A former CEO of the National Telecommunications Authority (INT), now an academic, took to social media to complain about the decision and raised questions about “francophonie” Schengen.News reports.
Tunisian Students Won’t Attend ICECS Due to Visa Issues
Since French authorities rejected visa applications filed by Tunisian students, these individuals will not be able to attend the international conference in the field of electronic circuits and systems. The conference was scheduled to take place between November 18 and November 20, 2024.
As the academic figures in Tunisia pointed out, this conference gathers individuals interested in the matter every year, promoting francophonie and scientific cooperation. This goes against what the French President tries to highlight on the international stage of education.
In addition, this situation also conveys a negative message to the international scientific community. This risks discouraging many Tunisian talents from turning to France for their academic and professional projects.
Tunisian Community Calls for Fair Treatment
The Tunisian academic figures have made several recommendations to the French government, including being more transparent about visa refusals.
In addition, they also call for a different treatment for researchers, as the Tunisian elite believes that students and professionals should benefit from simplified rules.
Rapid review for unjustified decisions is also included in the list of recommendations in an effort to preserve candidates’ opportunities.
According to statistics published by SchengenVisaInfo, France is the country that denies most visa applications for Tunisian applicants. In 2023, France rejected 17,274 applications filed by Tunisians. In total, France accounted for 44.4 percent of all Tunisians’ rejected applications for the year.
The second country is Italy, with 3,787 visas being rejected. Conversely, Belgium had the highest rejection rates for Tunisian applicants, approving only 47 per cent of visa requests.
However, fewer Tunisians have been applying for Schengen visas in recent years. For example, in 2019, Tunisians were the tenth-largest applicant group for Schengen visas. In 2023, they became the 19th, showing a decreased interest rate in obtaining visas.
Source: https://schengen.news/tunisian-intellectuals-furious-at-france-for-refusing-visas-to-tunisian-students/
