France-Immigration: Retailleau takes off charter planes again

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced Wednesday that he had ordered the prefect of Mayotte to organize “group flights” to return nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo to their country.

“From this month of October, the prefect of Mayotte – he has instructions – will organize group flights to be able to return foreigners in an irregular situation to the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Retailleau declared to the National Assembly during the questions to the government, questioned by MP RN Anchya Bamana.

The minister’s entourage told AFP that four group flights had been organized since February and that there were “at least three planned for the month of October alone to partially empty the administrative detention center” of Mayotte, located on Petite-Terre. Cooperation with the DRC is “excellent”, adds the entourage.

Then questioned by the law commission, late Wednesday afternoon, the minister also “confirmed the creation of a CRA in Mayotte” as well as the dispatch of “two gendarmerie brigades”.
The CRA already existing in the archipelago has a capacity of 136 places and alone concentrates the highest activity of all French CRAs, with 28,180 people passing through its walls in 2023, out of a national total of 46,955, according to the latest report of Cimade.

Beyond this question, Bruno Retailleau wants to focus on consular passes, this document issued by the country of origin of the person under an OQTF (obligation to leave French territory) and without which France cannot expel him.

“There is no question of taking off planes from a starting point without being certain that upon their arrival there will be acceptance from the local authorities,” assured Bruno Retailleau.

A challenge therefore when certain countries are issuing consular passes sparsely. Enough to push Bruno Retailleau to hope for “bilateral agreements so that the countries of origin and the countries of transit accept that nationals are sent back to them”.

Problem: these agreements signed between two nations are often for a specific duration. It is often necessary to wait until these agreements expire to renegotiate them.

The Minister of the Interior, clearly aware of the situation, therefore calls for “a dialogue” with the countries refusing the return of their nationals. The exchanges could, however, take on the appearance of a standoff: Bruno Retailleau thus called for “reciprocity” between countries.

Concretely, this would mean that France would continue to grant visas to nationals of certain countries only if the latter agree in exchange to issue consular passes.