Senate deliberates and votes on legislation to release organizations from administrative detention facilities
Fresh Take:
Bruno Retailleau, France's Interior Minister, is driving his immigration policy with a series of legislative proposals. Recently, the Senate green-lighted bills that increase detention periods and limit access to social programs for foreigners, awaiting review by the National Assembly. On May 12, 2025, an additional bill sailed through the Senate, aiming to oust associations from administrative detention centers (CRA).
If the National Assembly approves, these five current association structures stationed across 25 CRA in France would give way to the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII). This change would shift the responsibility of providing legal counsel and assistance from these organizations to the OFII, a department under the watch of the Interior Ministry.
In an October 2024 interview with Le Figaro, Retailleau critiqued associations that operate marketplaces and serve as legal advisors, helping detainees draft appeals and connecting them with lawyers. He asserted, "It's high time legal and social aid for individuals incarcerated in CRA was handled by the French Office for Immigration and Integration, not associations that play the roles of both judge and party."
This new bill, with 227 votes in favor and 113 against, has been transferred to the National Assembly for further deliberation under an expedited process. Meanwhile, another bill, passed in March 2025, is designed to stretch detention periods for foreigners convicted of specific crimes to 210 days within CRAs [1][4].
[1] "Le Sénat approuve l'élargissement des délais de détention administrative des étrangers," Le Point, March 30, 2025.[4] "Débats au Sénat. Loi pour édifier l’asile en France," Le Monde, May 14, 2025.
Retailleau's policy-and-legislation proposals in the realm of immigration have been gaining momentum, with the latest policy focused on ousting associations from administrative detention centers (CRA). If approved by the National Assembly, this policy could shift the provision of legal counsel and assistance from associations to the General News: French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII) – a department under the Interior Ministry.
Furthermore, Retailleau's criticism of associations operating marketplaces and serving as legal advisors in CRA has led to a new bill aimed at addressing this issue in the retail sector. This bill, with 227 votes in favor and 113 against, is currently being deliberated upon in the National Assembly, following an expedited process.
