More than 200 elected officials and 20 civil-society organisations have signed an open letter accusing the Hauts-de-Seine prefecture in Nanterre of leaving lawful foreign residents in legal limbo by failing to process residency-permit renewals within statutory deadlines. The letter, published on 24 September, brands the authority a “fabrique des sans-papiers”—a factory for undocumented migrants. Applicants report waiting months for online appointment slots, only to face further delays once paperwork is lodged. Administrative-court data show 2,054 rulings against the prefecture between May 2025 and May 2026—about 158 per month—often ordering officials to issue or renew permits within days. Prefect Alexandre Brugère rejects the charge, noting that processing times fell from 142 to 92 days between March and August and that monthly issuances doubled to 6,000 in the first half of 2026. Nonetheless, lawyers from the Association des avocats pour la défense des droits des étrangers have filed suit, claiming “systemic dysfunction”. The backlog hits the La Défense business district hard, where a lapse in a foreign employee’s carte de séjour can void work-permit validity and employer compliance. Global-mobility teams should audit renewal pipelines for staff based in western Paris suburbs and consider using the urgent-receipt procedure (récépissé) to bridge gaps. Experts also advise keeping scanned copies of application receipts and leveraging court injunctions (référé) if delays exceed the 90-day legal limit, as judges frequently award damages and order immediate issuance.
Source: The Local France
