Published on 28/10/2024 22:40
Reading time: 1min – video: 2min
War in the Middle East: these Lebanese refugees in France whose visa expires
War in the Middle East: these Lebanese refugees in France whose visa expires
(France 2)
Several thousand Lebanese have traveled to France in recent months, and some of them have seen their visas expire. What to do, then? Return to a country at war, go elsewhere or rely on the flexibility of the French authorities? Reporting.
Since October 15, the tourist visa of Gisèle Daccache, a 70-year-old Lebanese woman, has expired. She now finds herself in an irregular situation in France. Despite the war in her country, she was not allowed to extend her stay. “I can't stay without papers, especially since I don't have black and white paper, which means I was allowed to stay.”she said. With her son, Elie Dagher, she has nevertheless taken steps to regularize her situation. “We send to everyone, everyone sends us back to each other”he laments.
Lebanese nationals can request an exceptional extension of stay, but the Minister of the Interior confirms to France Télévisions that the requests are not systematically accepted, since the decision “belongs to the prefects”. More than 104,000 Lebanese today have a valid visa, issued by France.
Watch the full report in the video above.
