Latest news with #OQTF
Ya Biladi
4 days ago
- Ya Biladi
France : Retired woman attacked by neighbors, including young Moroccan facing deportation
She no longer dares to leave her house without looking over her shoulder. On June 6 in Nogent-sur-Oise, north of Paris, a 74-year-old woman was violently assaulted in the street by her neighbors. On Thursday, July 24, the Senlis judicial court sentenced a 25-year-old man and his 22-year-old partner for violent robbery. The couple, both struggling with drug addiction, targeted the septuagenarian as she was returning home. The main perpetrator, a Moroccan national in an irregular situation, ripped a necklace worth 600 euros from her neck before fleeing. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with continued detention. Already known to authorities for theft and drug trafficking, he is also subject to an Obligation to Leave French Territory (OQTF), according to Le Parisien. His partner, a work-study student and regular cocaine user, denied striking the victim. However, her version was contradicted by a witness and by the victim herself, who testified that she had been hit on the back and face. The court sentenced her to eight months in detention. «I'm still afraid, especially because I could run into her again», the victim said in court, visibly shaken by the fact that her attackers live less than a hundred meters from her home. «If they had both apologized from the start, I might not have taken it this far. But she kept denying it, and that made me furious», she added. The court has barred the couple from contacting the victim for five years. As compensation, she will receive 1,850 euros for material and moral damages.
Ya Biladi
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Six days in airport custody and a deportation order : A Moroccan graduate breaks her silence
Since 2018, Zahra* has lived in France, where she completed her higher education. After earning her hard-earned MBA, she hoped to launch her career in the country where she had built her adult life. But it was only after returning from a summer trip to Morocco that things took a dramatic turn. At Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport, «everything seemed routine», until a border officer stepped out of the office and asked her to follow him. Zahra* was blindsided. She was informed that she was under an «Obligation to Leave French Territory» (OQTF) and barred from re-entering the country for 40 years. Speaking to Yabiladi, the 29-year-old said she had never been notified of any such administrative decision or its justification. Psychological Distress and an Enforceable OQTF According to Zahra*, it all began with her temporary residence permit (APS) application, which didn't include her final diploma. The APS allows international students and recent graduates to remain in France to seek employment or start a business. Since official diplomas can take time to arrive, it's common practice to submit a certificate of completion instead. «That's exactly what I did, and the prefecture reassured me it was fine», Zahra* told us. But her case spiraled into an unprecedented administrative tangle, one so unusual that even police officers were baffled. «In court, the officers and interpreters who read the administrative decision were stunned. They had never seen anything like it», Zahra* said. She has painful memories of her time in airport custody, especially her appearance before the judge for individual freedoms. On the sixth day, an appeals court ordered her release from the holding area but the OQTF remains active. Now, Zahra* lives under what she described as a «sword of Damocles», unable to move forward. The ordeal also left her emotionally scarred. She reported experiencing verbal sexual harassment, including explicit threats during her confinement. She also described appalling conditions, unsanitary facilities and inadequate food. «They took everything from me. I no longer have my residence documents, not even my receipt», she said. «It expires in September, and it usually takes six months for a court to review an OQTF. That means I could end up undocumented. In the meantime, I've had promising job offers that I can't pursue because of this order». «A Denial of Rights», says her lawyer Her attorney, Samy Djemaoun, believes her situation stems from an «administrative error» that amounts to «a denial of rights», and reflects a clear intent to bar her from re-entry. «My client has lived legally in France for seven years. She studied, worked, paid taxes. Her student visa expired in February, and she applied to change her status to enter the workforce. She received an APS valid until September 17, 2025. Her application was approved on March 30 for a job offer. On June 17, she was summoned to the prefecture to collect her new permit», he explained on social media. At that appointment, Zahra* was told her new permit was being printed. On June 25, she traveled to Morocco to visit her family, expecting to return on July 9. But at the airport, she was denied entry. «In the meantime, the prefecture quietly issued: a permit refusal, an OQTF, and a 40-year re-entry ban, without notifying her, without revoking her receipt on June 17, and without ever requesting additional documents», Djemaoun said. «They claimed she didn't submit her diploma», he added, «but she had provided a certificate of completion». On July 8, the day before her return, Zahra* was entered into the national wanted persons database, flagged with an administrative 'E notice' banning her from France until June 4, 2065. The notice included instructions: «If the departure deadline has not passed, release the individual». «She was still within the deadline, her receipt was valid until September, yet they held her», the lawyer continued. «So here we have a summons to collect her permit, while at the same time, a refusal, an OQTF, and a re-entry ban are issued in secret. All of it based on a supposedly missing document that was never requested. No official notification. And a wanted notice that calls for her release that the border police ignored». The Paris Court of Appeal later ruled that Zahra's administrative custody was a «disproportionate infringement of her rights». In light of the case, Djemaoun stressed the urgent need to «bring humanity and the rule of law back to public administration». While she awaits a final resolution, Zahra* said she's also facing «a wave of false rumors on TikTok», in addition to racist attacks from far-right groups online. «At this point, I don't care about the hateful comments», she said. «What matters is knowing I've never broken the law. I've always followed administrative procedures, paid my taxes when I was working, and respected the laws of this country». After the emotional toll of recent days, Zahra* says she «just wants justice», so she can work and return to a normal life.
Ya Biladi
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
France considers freezing assets of Algerian officials
Tensions between France and Algeria could be heading toward a new escalation. According to L'Express, Paris is considering freezing the assets of «about twenty dignitaries» of the Algerian regime. This measure could be implemented in the event of further deterioration in relations between the two countries—a threat reportedly raised by the French Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau. «According to our information, this option is being seriously considered, both at Bercy (Ministry of Finance) and Beauvau (Ministry of the Interior). A list of 'about twenty dignitaries' has been drawn up», a government source told L'Express. These individuals hold key positions in the Algerian administration, security apparatus, and political system, while also owning properties or financial assets in France. «It is estimated that 801 members of the Algerian nomenklatura have financial interests in France and visit regularly. This figure does not include military personnel», the magazine added. The potential sanctions are reportedly being considered as «a response to Algiers' refusal to take back several of its nationals under an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF). The idea within the government is to use this list of twenty dignitaries as a last resort in diplomatic negotiations between the two countries», according to L'Express. A first measure was already taken on May 16, when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs suspended a 2007 agreement allowing holders of diplomatic passports to travel freely between the two countries without a visa. The current crisis between Paris and Algiers was sparked by President Emmanuel Macron's recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara on July 30. The arrest of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in Algiers on November 16 further strained relations.
The Independent
09-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
French presidential hopeful sparks outrage with bizarre remote island migrant plan
French presidential hopeful Laurent Wauquiez has sparked outrage in France, even within his own conservative circles, after proposing to send migrants awaiting deportation to the remote island of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, located off the coast of Canada. Wauquiez is among a crowded field of potential candidates vying for the conservative nomination in the upcoming 2027 presidential election. Many are competing to adopt the most hardline stance on immigration in an attempt to gain ground on the far-right National Rally. Wauquiez's proposal, made in a front-page interview with JDNews magazine, has caused consternation in France, including from the government his party supports and from within his own camp. "No French territory deserves to be treated like a relegation zone," said Manuel Valls, a former prime minister now in charge of overseas territories in Francois Bayrou's government. "Forced exile is the method of a coloniser, not that of an elected official of the French Republic," he said. Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a sparsely inhabited French-ruled archipelago located off the coast of northern Canada. The islands remain outside the Schengen free-travel area despite being a part of France. A map of Saint Pierre and Miquelon: The issue of illegal migrants whose deportation has been ordered but still remain in France has become a red-hot debate in France. The far right has seized on the issue of authorities failing to implement many of the so-called OQTF deportation orders - as a sign of weakness from the French state. However, even far-right leader Marine Le Pen criticised Wauquiez's idea. "The place for OQTF (migrants) is in their country, certainly not on French territory. The people of Saint Pierre and Miquelon are not second-rate citizens," she said on X. Some in Wauquiez's party said his proposal disqualified him as a potential presidential candidate. A primary is scheduled for May 17, with a possible second round on May 25. "Many of us thought it was fake news," a conservative lawmaker told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "It shows he won't stop at anything, even the most extreme proposals." Other European nations have explored schemes to transport migrants overseas. Italy 's government drew up plans to send illegal migrants to camps in Albania, evoking comparisons with Britain's aborted scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. Wauquiez doubled down on his plan on Wednesday. "All the dangerous OQTFs to Saint Pierre and Miquelon. I stick to my guns," he said on X.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
French presidential hopeful sparks outcry with idea to deport migrants to remote island
PARIS (Reuters) - French presidential hopeful Laurent Wauquiez has caused an outcry in France, including within his own conservative camp, for suggesting sending migrants awaiting deportation to the remote island of Saint Pierre and Miquelon off Canada's coast. Wauquiez is one of a crowded group of possible contenders for the conservative ticket in the next presidential election in 2027, with many of them competing to take the hardest line on immigration to catch up with the far-right National Rally. The proposal from Wauquiez, the head of the Republicans party in the lower house, made in a front-page interview with JDNews magazine, has caused consternation in France, including from the government his party supports and from within his camp. "No French territory deserves to be treated like a relegation zone," said Manuel Valls, a former prime minister now in charge of overseas territories in Francois Bayrou's government. "Forced exile is the method of a coloniser, not that of an elected official of the French Republic," he said. Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a sparsely inhabited French-ruled archipelago located off the coast of northern Canada. The islands remain outside the Schengen free-travel area despite being a part of France. The issue of illegal migrants whose deportation has been ordered but still remain in France has become a red-hot debate in France. The far right has seized on the issue of authorities failing to implement many of the so-called OQTF deportation orders - as a sign of weakness from the French state. However, even far-right leader Marine Le Pen criticised Wauquiez's idea. "The place for OQTF (migrants) is in their country, certainly not on French territory. The people of Saint Pierre and Miquelon are not second-rate citizens," she said on X. Some in Wauquiez's party said his proposal disqualified him as a potential presidential candidate. A primary is scheduled for May 17, with a possible second round on May 25. "Many of us thought it was fake news," a conservative lawmaker told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "It shows he won't stop at anything, even the most extreme proposals." Other European nations have explored schemes to transport migrants overseas. Italy's government drew up plans to send illegal migrants to camps in Albania, evoking comparisons with Britain's aborted scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. Wauquiez doubled down on his plan on Wednesday. "All the dangerous OQTFs to Saint Pierre and Miquelon. I stick to my guns," he said on X.
