Marne Prefecture Must Reopen Moroccan Man’s Naturalization Case After Failing to Prove It Sent Summonses

The Moroccan man filed his French citizenship application on November 17, 2023. More than a year later, on February 18, 2025, the Marne prefecture decided to end the processing of his file. The reason given was that he had allegedly failed to attend appointments required for the administrative inquiry conducted by law enforcement.

On Bladi.net : France revives a fifteen-year-old case to block a Moroccan man’s naturalization

The man disputes this account. He says he made repeated efforts to report changes to his email address and phone number. According to him, the naturalization services did not properly take these changes into account. He also says he received no summonses, whether by mail, email or phone.

Before the Châlons-en-Champagne Administrative Court, the prefecture maintained that police officers and gendarmes had tried to contact him several times, including after receiving his new contact details. But it produced no documents to prove these attempts.

That is precisely what turned the case around. The judges found no proof that the summonses had been sent or that interview dates had been proposed. There was no evidence of a deliberate refusal to cooperate or of any attempt to delay the procedure.

In another naturalization case, a Moroccan man lost his appeal against a prefecture that had been able to prove it sent a registered letter. This time, the administration found itself in the opposite situation.

On Bladi.net : French court upholds two-year delay in Moroccan man’s citizenship application over history and civics gaps

The ruling issued on April 29, 2026 found an error of fact and annulled the decision to close the case without further action, issued in February 2025. The prefect of the Marne must continue processing the Moroccan national’s naturalization application. The judges rejected his request for reimbursement of legal costs.