France’s Council of State ordered the state on Tuesday to fix dysfunctions in the Anef portal for residence permit applications. The top administrative court finds these issues gravely harm foreigners’ rights. A six-month deadline is set for several corrective measures.
The administrative court sided with about a dozen associations, including Cimade, Secours catholique, and Emmaüs, which approached the Council of State a year ago. These groups highlighted recurring issues faced by foreigners in applying for or renewing residence permits via the Anef portal, the digital platform for foreigners in France, mandatory since 2021.
The Council of State requires the government to fix dysfunctions that abnormally limit user access and undermine their legal rights. Despite improvement measures by the interior minister, the portal still has severe blockages, per the ruling.
Key demands include ensuring, within six months, timely issuance or renewal of temporary instruction prolongation attestations for existing permit holders. A one-year deadline is set for allowing simultaneous filings of multiple residence permit applications and dossier corrections, especially for erroneous refusals.
“This is a great victory. It will force the state to ensure effective, quality access to this public service and limit rights losses,” said Riwanon Quéré of Cimade. The Federation of Solidarity Actors and the Defender of Rights welcomed the decision, citing a 400% rise in complaints from 2020 to 2024, leading to job losses or housing expulsions.
