Dince the Covid-19 crisis, France has recorded a significant increase in Obligations to Leave French Territory (OQTF), with an execution rate exceeding 7%. In 2022, more than 134,000 OQTFs were issued. A survey carried out by CSA for CNews, Europe 1 and the JDD reveals that 78% of French people are in favor of the systematic and indefinite imprisonment of people under OQTF awaiting their expulsion.
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The OQTF is an administrative measure issued by the prefecture, aimed at expelling individuals from French territory. This decision may be justified by non-compliance with the conditions of stay or by a risk to public order. However, it is mainly applied to people residing illegally or to those whose asylum application has been rejected, in particular for nationals of countries deemed “safe”. Among these countries, placement under OQTF is almost systematic for nationals of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, India and Moldova.
The analysis of opinions by gender reveals that men are slightly more likely to support the systematic imprisonment of individuals under OQTF: 79% of men are in favor, compared to 77% of women. Conversely, 22% of women are opposed to this measure, while 1% of respondents have no opinion.
Regarding political orientation, left-wing supporters are less inclined to support the idea of imprisonment without time limits for OQTFs, although they remain in the majority. Thus, 70% of Socialist Party supporters approve of this measure, as do 67% of Ecologist supporters. On the other hand, on the side of La France insoumise, only 45% share this opinion.
What about minors?
Although the Obligation to Leave French Territory (OQTF) is not systematically associated with a disturbance of public order, it remains the most used measure in the arsenal of removal of foreigners, preceding expulsion and deportation to the border. This measure may concern families, including minors, as well as people fleeing countries experiencing serious conflicts, such as Sudan, Iraq or Afghanistan.
However, the administration cannot force a minor to leave France. However, if his parents are the subject of an OQTF, the minor can be removed with them and placed under Child Social Assistance (ASE). Following an OQTF, an adult foreigner can be placed in an administrative detention center or placed under house arrest, as was Taha O., the alleged assassin of Philippine.
Each year, nearly 50,000 people are locked up in administrative detention centers or premises (CRA or LRA), a significant portion of which are in the overseas departments, according to La Cimade. It has also been reported that children are being locked up in these centers, despite France’s six convictions by the European Court of Human Rights in this regard.
