Algeria: France Toughens Study Visa Requirements

Algerians wishing to study in France have seen conditions to get a visa toughened as the French general consulate in Algiers imposes payment of at least 30 per cent of hotel bookings in advance.

Student associations in the North African country have slammed the decision, which they deem discriminatory as the same decision has not been imposed on Tunisian and Moroccan students.

ADDRA, one of student associations, indicated that the decision came late and should have been announced since March as hundreds of applications have been submitted and possibilities of seeing them rejected are very likely, online media huffpostmaghreb.com reports.

The general consulate argues that the new decision is part of new policies meant to ensure that future Algerian students in France are well accommodated.

The consulate also points out that studies have shown that most of the applicants; over ¾ of them, cancel the bookings the following day after they submit their visa applications or right after the visa is issued.

The consulate added that even when visas are issued, students can be stripped of the stay permit, denied study visa or may face expulsion.

Campus France Algérie; a French higher education promotion agency in Algeria, indicated that it has already received over 32,000 applications against 28,000 last year and that 25 percent of 2017 applicants have received pre-admission in French Universities and High schools.

There are currently over 23,000 Algerian students studying in France, representing the third largest foreign student community behind Chinese and Moroccans.