Moroccan Restaurant Worker in Cherbourg Faces Deportation Despite Integration Efforts

Alae Eddine is threatened with expulsion after the Urssaf services discovered during a check in mid-June that he had a fake Spanish identity card. The young Moroccan arrived in France four and a half years ago and has been working at the Café du port in Cherbourg since August 2022. "Obviously, we couldn’t know... We can’t even morally blame him for that," says Sandrine Poulain, the café manager, to France Bleu. "I admit to being at a loss at this point and no longer knowing what to do."

Since this check, Alae Eddine, affectionately called "Aladin" by his colleagues, is under house arrest and required to report to the Border Police (PAF) every morning. He fears an expulsion that can occur at any time before the end of the month. "Since this check, I’m not doing well, I’m stressed. I’m sick. I have a heartache. I don’t want to leave, because here I have a job and my friends. I’ve never done anything wrong. I’ve always taken the path of seriousness, of work," he confides.

The young man has traveled through Turkey, Kosovo, Croatia, Italy and other countries before arriving in France, his dream country. "I’ve suffered too much to end up here. All my friends tell me I don’t deserve this situation," Alae complains. "For us, it was a huge surprise. He’s our darling, everyone loves him. He has an Urssaf number, we pay retirement, Pôle emploi... The entire French administrative system didn’t realize he had a fake ID card," explains Sandrine Poulain.

And she adds: "He’s really a cream. He sends part of his salary to his parents. And he has truly fallen in love with Cherbourg. It’s beautiful to see this young man proud to stay in France, while we’re always here complaining. It’s a great life lesson," says the café manager. Alae was supposed to complete his five years of seniority on French territory in four months to apply for a residence permit. But he risks being expelled before that deadline.