The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment conducted an inspection visit to France in October 2025. Following this mission, the committee published a report in late October 2026 detailing the conditions found within the country's immigration detention system. Investigators assessed six administrative detention centers during their stay. The report also examined conditions at two specific migrant detention zones located at Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport and Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport. These findings provide an official evaluation of the treatment of individuals held within these facilities.
The committee's report, released in late October 2026, assessed six administrative detention centers and two migrant detention zones at Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Lyon Saint-Exupéry airports. By conducting these site visits, the committee sought to gain a full understanding of the operational environment within these specific locations. The investigators focused their attention on the infrastructure, the daily operational procedures, and the overall management of the individuals currently residing in these zones.
Escalating Detention Durations
French legislation has shifted the maximum detention period for migrants to 90 days. This limit represents a significant change from the 30-day maximum mandated in 2018. The maximum detention period for migrants in France has increased to 90 days, compared to 30 days in 2018. Current data indicates that the average duration of detention for individuals held in these facilities is now three times longer than the average observed in 2018. The average duration of detention is now three times longer than it was in 2018.
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment report includes documentation of physical violence, ill-treatment, and the use of racist insults by police officers against detainees. These findings describe specific interactions between law enforcement personnel and individuals held in administrative detention centers across the country. The report documented instances of police officers using physical violence, ill-treatment, and racist insults against detainees. Such documentation notes the gravity of the concerns raised by the committee regarding the conduct of officers tasked with overseeing the security and management of these administrative sites.
آلان ميتشل (Alan Mitchell), president of the committee, characterized the conditions observed in certain facilities by stating, "براميل بارود حقيقية" (real powder kegs). These findings emerge as part of the broader evaluation regarding the treatment of migrants within the French system. The committee monitored these practices throughout its inspection mission to assess how the increased detention periods and police conduct affect the daily lives of those detained. By documenting these interactions and the environmental factors within the centers, the committee has provided a detailed account of the current state of migrant detention in France, emphasizing the urgent nature of the issues identified during their intensive review process.
