In the gritty northern suburb of Saint-Denis, dozens of children from immigrant backgrounds are successfully graduating from technical high schools. Despite their academic achievements in one of France’s poorest regions, many of these young adults are being hit with formal deportation orders instead of job offers.The trend has caused widespread alarm.
Nineteen-year-old Mariem, who arrived in France from Tunisia at age 12, is currently pursuing a two-year vocational degree known as a BTS. After being notified of a letter awaiting her at the post office this past April, she discovered it was an Obligation de Quitter le Territoire Francais (OQTF), or a mandatory deportation order. She told Al Jazeera that the discovery left her feeling deeply depressed and uncertain about her future.Mohammed is facing a similar ordeal.
A 19-year-old electrical engineering student who moved from Morocco to France at age 14, Mohammed returned from a vacation last September to find a deportation order from the Ministry of the Interior. The authorities claimed he lacked the necessary visa to study, even though he was officially enrolled in his program. He remains confused as to why his legal status was suddenly revoked.The issue stems from a persistent administrative grey area.
Although many of these students receive protections until they reach the age of 18, their legal status often becomes precarious once they reach adulthood. While they have strong ties to France and are training for essential roles in the labor market, bureaucratic hurdles frequently prevent them from regularizing their status. Recent policy shifts have only compounded these challenges for vulnerable students.
Since January 2025, the government has significantly restricted the number of work permits granted to high school graduates. The move was intended to clear a massive backlog of visa processing, but critics argue it has instead caused a sharp decline in issued documents. According to the Ministry of the Interior, overall visa issuance has dropped by 40 percent, with work-specific visas plummeting by more than 50 percent.
Despite France’s labor union reports noting that simple visa renewals can take up to 18 months, technical schools report that students in priority fields—such as construction, nursing, and engineering—are still receiving deportation orders. As a result, many talented graduates are being forced to abandon their professional prospects due to administrative delays that ignore their integration into French society.
