Visa problems for artists from non-EU countries have increased within the last weeks. On 18 December Malian artist Mariam Diarra, whose skills and reputation have been established for over 20 years, was refused an entry visa on the French territory for a concert and a masterclass at the Africolor festival (Seine-Saint-Denis). The reasons were remarkable: The Vice-Consul in office did ask Miriam a “certificate of non-pregnancy” because she had “a little belly”. In the pretext of the refusal was the certificate of non-pregnancy considered as a fake and the will to return to Mali within the visa expiration dates would be less probable.

Sébastien Lagrave, director of the festival Africolor has denounced the behavior of the consular authorities as crossing the red line of attack on human dignity. The French Republic “s’abaisse à des pratiques de bio-pouvoir qui sont contraires aux droits les plus élémentaires de la personne humaine.”

Source: Radio France International