People in an irregular situation are in the crosshairs of many French officials. Recent criminal cases involving undocumented aliens have not argued in favor of those subject to the OQTF.
This Thursday, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin spoke on the subject on France Inter. He made a most significant announcement in relation to his future immigration bill. Darmanin explained that he was working to “make life impossible for OQTFs in France”. He explained that for him it was incomprehensible that an incited person left French territory before, for example, still being entitled to social housing.
Gerald Darmanin encourages tougher laws
This immigration considered harmful for the country according to him is not sufficiently controlled, and the expulsion of undocumented migrants is not optimized enough. In an extract, published on the official tweeter account of France Inter, the Prime Minister clearly explains what he considers to be flawed. He explains that French law is too “complex”. Indeed, he recalls that to expel a person targeted by an OQTF, it is possible to have up to 12 appeals but qualifies this point by adding: “But when you appeal, you cannot expel the person.”
Recurring administrative appeals prevent the proper execution of many OQTFs. According to Gérald Darmanin, it is around 50 and more. His immigration bill, therefore, aims to stop the double jeopardy system, which would lead to the deportation of 4,000 more immigrant offenders every year.
