Regularization The unions demand that particular attention be paid to women, within the framework of the creation of a “short-term occupations” residence permit for the government
A demonstration for the regularization of undocumented migrants in Lyon, December 18 2020. — KONRAD K/Sipa
A “double discrimination”. That’s it! what undocumented workers experience, victims of precariousness; administrative and of their kind, have denounced this Friday several unions. The government has opened the door to a new way of regularization with its proposal to create a residence permit “stress jobs” for undocumented workers, as part of its immigration bill due in early 2023.
In this context, “the situation of women is doubly fragile,” in a joint declaration the inter-union CGT, FO, CFDT, FSU, CFE-CGC, CFTC and Solidaires of the department of Seine-Saint-Denis. This precariousness, according to the unions, stems from the fact that undocumented workers “ compulsory part-time is legion (…) and undeclared work widespread, “making it difficult if not impossible” their regularization under the 2012 circular known as “Valls”.
Women exploited “ with impunity »
The latter, which allows the regularization of approximately 30,000 people per year, lists the criteria according to which an undocumented person can file an application for a title in the prefecture: an employee; must prove three years of presence in the territory, provide 24 payslips as well as a promise of employment on a permanent contract.
“Special consideration should be given to women workers, whose eligibility is not guaranteed. to a number of criteria is more difficult,” trade unions. Especially since these women are recruited “by dark circuits in order to be able to exploit them with impunity” Jean-Albert Guidou, of the CGT.
« We must break the power of the employer »
Aya, an Ivorian housekeeper, who arrived in France in 2017 and came to testify at the press conference, thus began; in 2022 at “clean villas» in the south of France on behalf of a company that transports «cargoes of undocumented migrants» to this effect, according to the CGT. She claims to have been paid 800 euros per month “without any day off”. When she filed a request for regularization, the latter was not only rejected, but the young woman was also issued with an “obligation to leave French territory” (OQTF) accompanied by a ban on returning to the territory (IRTF).
A «scandal», continued Jean-Albert Guidou, according to whom «we must blow up the power of the employer”, with reference to the government’s proposal to allow undocumented workers to file their regularization application themselves, without the consent of a boss.