Charity urges new French law to criminalise visa-linked abuse of foreign women

As France discusses a sweeping gender-based violence bill, Women for Women France is lobbying for a new criminal provision targeting ‘administrative abuse’, a tactic where abusive partners threaten or sabotage a foreign spouse’s visa or titre de séjour to maintain control. CEO Sarah McGrath explained that such actions—blocking access to the ANEF portal, hiding documents, or preventing attendance at integration courses—are not currently illegal, leaving victims vulnerable.

The charity also seeks a guaranteed five-year residence permit for anyone who reports gender-based violence, enabling them to secure housing, work, and child custody. Additional demands include mandatory equal access to healthcare, family benefits, and social services for foreign-born victims. These changes would need to be inserted as amendments and passed by a majority in the Assemblée nationale, where political support for foreign-rights measures is uncertain.