Arriving in France at age 10 in 1979, this Moroccan man remains under threat of removal 47 years later

Born in Morocco in 1969, the man claims to have arrived in France in 1979, when he was about ten years old. Yet his administrative situation has significantly deteriorated nearly 47 years later.

On May 19, 2025, the prefect of Gironde refused him a residence permit and ordered his expulsion from French territory. However, this measure was not carried out. On August 5, 2025, the prefecture issued a new decision, this time ordering him to leave French territory without delay, according to the ruling of the Bordeaux Administrative Court.

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A week later, on August 12, 2025, the Moroccan man was placed under house arrest for 45 days. He must remain at home every day between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and report every Monday morning to the Bordeaux police station.

He challenges these restrictions in court. In particular, he invokes his personal situation, his state of health and the distance between his home and the police station where he must report. He believes that these obligations disproportionately infringe on his freedom of movement.

His removal is still considered possible

The Bordeaux Administrative Court rejected his arguments on September 2. The judges considered that the Moroccan man had not provided sufficient evidence to show that the weekly reporting requirement or the obligation to remain at home for three hours a day had excessive consequences, particularly financially or medically.

The court also upheld the principle of the house arrest itself. The prefecture considers that, even if the man cannot be immediately returned to Morocco, his removal remains a “reasonable prospect” once a consular laissez-passer can be obtained.

This differs from the case of another Moroccan man who arrived in France at the age of 10, whose OQTF was recently suspended after 21 years in the country. In that case, family ties, the length of his stay and his professional activity had created serious doubt about the legality of the removal.

On Bladi.net : The prefecture forces him to report to the police station every day, but this Moroccan man gets the entire procedure annulled

The Moroccan man from Gironde therefore remains free, but under house arrest until the measure expires or is potentially renewed. The September 2 ruling does not once again decide on the legality of the OQTF issued on August 5: it only upholds the house arrest challenged before the court.