Ben Amed Azize Zougmore
19 May 2026¢Update: 19 May 2026
Several French migrant advocacy groups denounced on Tuesday the extension of the detention period for foreigners in irregular situations in administrative detention centers (CRA), arguing that this policy does not result in increased deportations.
In a report published on the eve of the Senate’s examination of a bill seeking to further extend the maximum detention period, the organizations warn of a “normalization” of the administrative detention of foreigners.
According to data from Forum Refugies, France Terre d’Asile, La Cimade, and Solidarité Mayotte, individuals held in the 22 mainland France CRA have spent increasingly longer periods in detention over the past five years, even as the number of deportations continues to decrease.
The associations highlight that in 2025, 16,467 people were detained in these centers, compared to 16,628 in 2024, criticizing a migration policy they deem more focused on security hardening than administrative efficiency.
The report also criticizes the human consequences of this extended detention, citing a worsening of the psychological and social precariousness of those affected.
This publication comes amid a tightening of the migration debate in France, as the Senate is set to examine a bill proposing an extension of maximum periods of administrative detention.
