Residence Permit Delays in France Leave Legal Immigrants at Risk of Losing Status

In their annual activity report for 2024, the delegates of the Defender of Rights in Alsace mentioned the delays faced by foreigners who are requesting the renewal of their residence permits through the ANEF platform. They also noted a lack of staff, particularly in the prefecture of Haut-Rhin, which penalizes applicants for residence permits.

The delegates of the Defender of Rights in Alsace also noted a significant increase in the number of complaints concerning the renewal of residence permits, accounting for 37% of the total complaints filed in the prefecture of Haut-Rhin and 25% in the prefecture of Bas-Rhin in 2024. The digitalization of the residence permit renewal procedure is to blame.

This reform "has led to bugs and difficulties that prevent foreigners from regularizing their situation within the time limits set by law," denounces Daniel Herment, a delegate of the Defender of Rights, explaining that the processing times on the ANEF platform are "sometimes longer than what the regulations allow."

As a result, some applicants find themselves in an "irregular situation even though they have followed the procedures," regrets the local delegate, who points out that foreigners can lose "their job - often in sectors under pressure - or their family allowances" due to this situation. As for students, they "risk no longer being able to do internships."

These processing delays, combined with the lack of staff at the prefecture of Haut-Rhin, can "be sources of financial difficulties and psychological and social suffering" for these foreigners who are "perfectly integrated into French society." The prefecture, for its part, assures that the situation of students has been regularized and that it pays "particular attention" to other pending files.