New French Immigration Law Expands Deportation Risks for Previously Protected Groups

Seriously ill persons, parents of French children, spouses of French citizens and persons who arrived in France before the age of 13 are no longer protected by French law. The latter, in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights, protected them against obligations to leave French territory (OQTF). Since the promulgation of the new "asylum and immigration" law, they have de facto lost this protection.

Moussa Sacko, a Malian national who arrived in France at the age of five and was taken in by his grandmother, was expelled to Bamako on July 2 following an OQTF issued against him by the prefect of Seine-Saint-Denis and his placement in the administrative detention center (CRA) of Mesnil-Amelot. This young Malian had been arrested on May 23, 2024, then placed in police custody. Yet, Moussa has completed all his schooling on French territory where he has all his personal ties.

The massive mobilization of many citizen collectives in Montreuil, including the Cimade, an active solidarity and political support association for foreigners, of parliamentarians and local elected officials did not prevent the Seine-Saint-Denis prefecture from carrying out his expulsion to Bamako.