Protesters Demand Better Treatment of Immigrants at French Prefecture

On Wednesday, more than 200 people denounced the treatment of foreigners within the Essonne prefecture. They demand "reasonable" processing times for applications (their processing can currently take several years), unblocking of exceptional admission to residence requests, implementation of in-person reception at the prefecture and sub-prefectures, systematic issuance of a receipt for residence permit applications with work authorization or a certificate of extended processing (which facilitate the life and procedures of applicants), renewal of these documents before their expiration if applications are still being processed, or the cessation of "unfair" OQTFs affecting young adults in school, reports Actu.fr.

"There are many high school students who have received OQTFs, they keep coming," laments Dominique Durand, from Education Without Borders 91. Among the cases mentioned is that of Esther, a final year student in a vocational program at the Essouriau high school in Les Ulis. Coming from Angola, she received an OQTF notification just one week before the start of her baccalaureate exams. "The Essonne prefecture is applying the Retailleau circular to the letter," denounces a CGT representative. In this circular addressed to prefects last January, he increased from five years to "at least seven years" the required duration of presence on French territory for a foreigner requesting papers for exceptional admission to residence. "A duration of presence of at least 7 years constitutes one of the relevant integration indicators," wrote the minister.

"Exceptional admission to residence of an irregular foreigner can only occur in the absence of a threat to public order," specified Retailleau, calling on prefects to "systematically accompany the refusal of residence with a measure requiring leaving French territory". The Essonne prefect "could choose not to apply the circular," argues Dominique Durand, as it is a text with less weight than the law, which provides a broader framework for regularization, particularly in terms of the number of years of presence in France. But "the prefect is very harsh, she is in line with Retailleau. There has been a terrible change since the circular," regrets the activist.

The protesters also denounced the very long processing times for applications at the Essonne prefecture. "There’s a real problem in Évry. In other prefectures, they at least give you an appointment when you make your request. Here we wait three years without an answer and then they give you an appointment and you have to have your entire file ready within a week!" denounces Yssam Saïdi, a lawyer at the Evry bar specializing in labor and immigration law. Moreover, a meeting between members of the Exilés 91 collective and the Essonne prefect is scheduled for May 20 to address the issue.