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France’s National Assembly Approves 210-Day Detention for Foreign Nationals Deemed Dangerous

Supported by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau’s coalition, the text passed 74-41 with all left-wing deputies dissenting, requiring one more vote for final approval next week.

Les députés ont approuvé mercredi 2 juillet une mesure permettant d’allonger la durée de rétention administrative des étrangers dont le « comportement constitue une menace d’une particulière gravité pour l’ordre public ».
30.000 rétentions administratives sont ordonnées en métropole tous les ans.
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Overview

  • On July 2, the National Assembly voted 74 to 41 to extend the maximum administrative detention period in retention centres from 90 to 210 days for certain foreign nationals.
  • The bill broadens the 210-day detention window, previously reserved for terrorism cases, to include those under an obligation to leave France, individuals deemed a serious threat to public order, and those convicted of murder, rape, drug trafficking or aggravated violent theft.
  • Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau argued that faster consular laissez-passer processing could have prevented the 2024 murder of 19-year-old student Philippine, which prompted the legislative initiative.
  • All left-wing deputies opposed the measure, saying longer detention will not improve expulsion rates given bureaucratic delays and will exacerbate poor conditions and psychiatric issues in retention centres.
  • The proposal now advances to a final vote next week and follows roughly 30,000 annual administrative detentions in metropolitan France, with European law permitting up to 540 days of retention.