Moroccan Man Faces Prison for Violating Deportation Order in Lille, France

The Moroccan was convicted for not having respected this decision, and also for drug use. After two months in prison, he was transferred to an administrative detention center (CRA) from which he was released three months later, after Morocco did not authorize his return.

On Monday, October 7, Amine Z. was presented before the competent judge in immediate appearance, for "irregular stay on French territory", in recidivism, reports la Voix du Nord. The president of the court states that the Moroccan is known to the judicial services of Lille under different identities and birth certificates, which has moreover prevented his return to Morocco.

Since his arrival in France in 2012, Amine Z. has already been convicted ten times for mostly theft offenses. His first conviction dates back to 2019. The prosecutor requested five months’ imprisonment against the Moroccan, as well as his continued detention. "He knew he had to leave the territory, but he stayed," she argued.

"This makes no sense! He spent three months in the CRA, we were not able to deport him. Morocco only issues 41% of laissez-passer (for the return, out of all the requests made by France.) Here, [...] he will have to serve a new sentence (in France) before returning to the CRA," deplored Me Baptiste Buissart, Amine Z.’s lawyer, who is asking for a light sentence "so that we can deport him".