7 days ago
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.
