The French short-term residence permit system systematically violates the human rights of racialized migrant workers, leaving them trapped in precarious, exploitative, and abusive conditions. Amnesty International’s research highlights that this system exposes migrant workers, particularly women, to labor exploitation, homelessness, poverty, and various forms of discrimination. The administrative structure of these permits, intended to allow workers to stay in France for up to four years, often fails in practice, resulting in instability, insecurity, and exploitation in sectors such as construction, domestic work, and cleaning.
Migrant workers from countries including Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Angola, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, and Sri Lanka are particularly affected. Amnesty documented abuses such as wage theft, forced overtime, dangerous working conditions, and instances of physical and sexual violence by employers, often racially motivated. Administrative failures, including computer errors and delays, exacerbate the situation, causing loss of income and social benefits, leaving workers unable to meet basic needs and at risk of homelessness.
The report, based on interviews with 27 racialized migrant workers and 39 experts, shows how France’s residence permit system creates a vicious cycle. To obtain a residence permit, a work permit from the employer is required, yet obtaining a work permit depends on having a residence permit. This circular system forces workers to endure dangerous and exploitative labor conditions, as challenging their employers risks losing both their job and legal status. Individual cases illustrate the devastating effects: workers have lost wages, social benefits, or even their right to remain in France due to administrative failures or employer negligence.
Amnesty International emphasizes that these violations are not isolated incidents but systemic issues rooted in decades of restrictive French migration policies. The precariousness of legal status facilitates abuse by unscrupulous employers and reinforces racial discrimination. The report calls for urgent reforms, including simplifying administrative procedures, strengthening safeguards against failures, and ensuring stable residence status through a single, secure work permit system. Reforms must be developed in consultation with civil society, trades unions, employers, and, critically, the racialized migrant workers most affected by the current system.
Immediate action is needed to rectify a system that is directly harmful and enables abuse. Ensuring human rights-compliant residence permits is essential to protect migrant workers, who are often deemed “essential” yet face systemic exploitation, discrimination, and insecurity under the current French administrative framework.
