PUBLI : Laura Odasso et Frédérique Fogel, « “Private and Family Life” in Times of Pandemic, Continuities and Breaks in a Discriminatory Policy : The Case of France », Revue européenne des migrations internationales, vol. 38, n° 1 & 2, 2022

This article examines the impact of measures to address COVID-19 on the right to family life in France. The shut­down of prefec­tural recep­tion faci­li­ties, the free­zing of visas for family reuni­fi­ca­tion and the closure of inter­na­tional borders left fami­lies at an impasse. Some people already on French terri­tory saw the hope of regu­la­ri­sa­tion fade away, while others waiting for reuni­fi­ca­tion witnessed the leng­the­ning of the period of sepa­ra­tion. With the adop­tion of a series of complex govern­ment measures, recourse to excep­tional legal prac­tices (i.e.: summary procee­dings) became common and various forms of collec­tive mobi­li­sa­tion emerged. An analysis of admi­nis­tra­tive immo­bi­li­sa­tion and of this collec­tive mobi­li­sa­tion reveals increased inequa­lity in terms of access to the law and the visi­bi­lity of certain cate­go­ries. These dyna­mics reflect the ongoing dete­rio­ra­tion of the rights of foreign natio­nals, which predates the health crisis.