Ben Amed Azize Zougmore
19 Mai 2026 • Mise à jour: 19 Mai 2026
Several French associations for the defense of migrants 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 an increase in expulsions.
In a report published on the eve of the Senate examination of a text aiming to further extend the maximum duration of detention, the organizations warn of a “normalization” of the administrative detention of foreigners.
According to data published by Forum Refugees, France Terre d’Asile, La Cimade, and Solidarity Mayotte, individuals held in the 22 CRA in mainland France have spent increasingly longer periods in detention over the past five years, even as the number of expulsions continues to decrease.
The associations point out that in 2025, 16,467 people were held in these centers, compared to 16,628 in 2024, criticizing a migration policy that they believe is more oriented towards security hardening than administrative efficiency.
The report also criticizes the human consequences of this prolonged detention, citing a worsening of the psychological and social precariousness of those affected.
This publication comes at a time of hardening of the migration debate in France, as the Senate is set to examine a bill providing for an extension of the maximum durations of administrative detention.
