France seeks to clear backlog of residency permit applications

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has identified the reduction of the massive backlog of residency permit applications as a key priority. As of April 2026, roughly 930,000 files were pending, leading the government to hire 500 temporary staff—an initiative that may be renewed in 2027. Despite these efforts and administrative simplifications, processing times remain high, with the Defender of Rights reporting a sharp increase in delays. Beyond staffing challenges, the digital portal ANEF has faced scrutiny; the Council of State has ordered the government to fix technical malfunctions that prevent users from properly submitting or updating their applications, granting a deadline of up to one year for these improvements.