Surge in Deportation Appeals Strains French Administrative Courts

While there are no large metropolitan areas and detention centers in Poitou-Charentes, appeals against OQTFs (Obligations to Leave French Territory) constitute 27% of the general activity of judges officiating at the administrative court of Poitiers, reports La Nouvelle République. Judges handled 573 OQTF appeals in 2017 and 776 in 2018. Since 2023, there has been a sharp increase: more than 1000 such cases are processed each year.

Other observations? Since the beginning of 2025, a 37.2% increase in appeals against OQTFs has been recorded at the administrative court of Poitiers: more than 60% of requests come from the prefecture of Vienne, 20% from the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres, and the rest from the two prefectures of Charente and Charente-Maritime.

These appeal cases against OQTFs concern applicants for private and family life residence permits, applicants for regularization through work, students, patients, or foreign couples, the majority of whom are from sub-Saharan African and North African countries.

While appealing against an OQTF decision is often a necessary step for residence permit applicants, they struggle to win their cases. As proof, 90% of OQTFs are confirmed by the administrative court of Poitiers.