I am a US citizen and require no visa to visit Fra...

I am a US citizen and require no visa to visit France. I have been to France more than 40 times. However, a recent experience has truly upset me.

A friend, who is not a US citizen, requires a Schengen visa to visit France. He applied a month ago. Along with his application, he was obligated to submit his booked airline flights. He is flying to Senegal first (four days from now), then to Paris four weeks later.

The French Consulate in Washington is "processing" his Schengen visa application. A week ago, he emails to emphasize that he departs for Senegal 11 day from that email. The response was that his application was being "processed."

It is now 4 days before his flight to Africa, and the French Consulate is holding his travel documents (passport equivalent) HOSTAGE. He cannot fly to Senegal unless they return his travel documents, and no one at the French Consulate will indicate whether they intend to have them back in his possession in time for him to fly to Africa.

My friend is a refugee -- a permanent resident of the US. He has not seen his family in Senegal for 10 years. The bureaucrats at the French Consulate appear to be either too stupid to understand the urgency of returning his travel documents (with or with a Schengen visa) or they simply don't give a damn about preventing this good man from seeing his family by not returning his travel documents which are his possession.

I have yet to see a favorable review of the French Consulate's processing of visa applications. France is a beautiful country, and the people whom I have befriended in France are wonderful. It is regrettably that the people who represent France in this consulate are so very callous and inconsiderate.