Morocco’s refusal to issue travel document blocks France’s 29-year-old expulsion bid

An email dated August 20, 2026, changed the course of the proceedings. In response to a request from the French authorities, the Moroccan consulate said it did not wish to “issue an LPC for this person.” The consular laissez-passer is needed to allow the prefecture to arrange his return to Morocco.

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In 2021, the Moroccan authorities had recognized his nationality and issued him a Moroccan national identity card. It has since expired. Repeated requests for a travel document, including those made from 2024 onward, have never succeeded.

The case of the 53-year-old man dates back a long way. An expulsion order has been in force against him since September 29, 1997. Convicted several times and given lengthy sentences, mainly for drug trafficking, he was imprisoned from August 20, 2003, to July 8, 2026.

In April 2024, he was granted parole on the condition that he be expelled. Assessments cited a reduced risk of reoffending and efforts made in prison. The prosecutor’s office had given a favorable opinion. Without a laissez-passer, he remained in prison until the end of his sentence.

Written refusal ends extension of detention

On July 8, 2026, his release from prison was followed by his placement in administrative detention. On October 7, a judge authorized an additional 30 days. The Moroccan man appealed the same day, challenging, in particular, the realistic prospects of his removal.

In its ruling of October 9, 2026, the Paris Court of Appeal relied on the consulate’s refusal of August 20 and the unsuccessful steps taken since 2024. It found that there was no prospect of removal and rejected the request by the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture.

The court ended his detention. It nevertheless reminded the Moroccan national that he remains required to leave French territory.