France has granted Schengen visas to several dozen Algerian imams despite the ongoing diplomatic tension between the two countries.
As the Ministry of Interior of France has explained, the Algerian imams will enter the country to lead prayers in different mosques across the country during the month of Ramadan, Schengen.News reports.
France has a large number of muslim population, with them making the second-largest religious group in France. However, the country itself does not have enough imams.
To address this issue, France welcomes Quran reciters and other religious figures every year from a number of countries including Morocco and Türkiye, in addition to Algeria.
Even though the authorities did not share the number of Algerian imams that were granted visas, they said that they do not want the muslim population in the country to be affected by the diplomatic crisis between France and Algeria.
As local media explains, the French Ministry of the Interior stressed that all imams that enter the country’s territory are thoroughly vetted and monitored by the authorities. The same explained that only imams that have legitimate qualifications are permitted to lead prayers in the country’s mosques.
The imams that are sent to us are the subject of a precise list and are screened by the services, they come from different countries – Morocco, Turkey, Algeria – and are very controlled. The whole system is managed by the Minister of Religious Affairs.
France-Algeria Relationship Worsened Due to Algeria’s Refusal to Repatriate Expelled Nationals
The diplomatic tension between France and Algeria has significantly worsened in the last months, pushing French authorities to take measures.
The relationship between the two countries started to deteriorate following a number of refusals from Algeria to repatriate its nationals who have received an order to leave the territory of France.
In response to Algeria’s refusals to take back its expelled nationals, France has already taken measures against Algerian diplomats.
France has introduced entry and movement restrictions for certain Algerian officials. Announcing the news earlier this week, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, said that the restrictions will be dropped once the authorities of Algeria respond to the call for cooperation.
In addition to imposing measures on Algerian officials, Minister Barrot said that he would ask the bloc to impose visa restrictions at the EU level for countries not cooperating with readmission.
In light of the current situation, a poll from CSA has revealed that 84 per cent of French people support the complete visa suspension for Algerian nationals. Some French politicians have also shown support for such a measure.
